Gundam Wing: After War: Retaliation
by Shadow Chaser
Summary: Sequel to Price of Peace: The children of the Gundam pilots thought they were done with war and killing...but now they will have to kill again, to survive a government that has betrayed them. [Alternate Universe] [ON HOLD]
1. Waiting in Silence - First Steps

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Retaliation

By: Shadow Chaser and Sephy

_Year: AC 224-226_

**Characters:**

Vailo "Val" Yuy - military academy student - pilot of Gundam Falcon Zero

Reyna Maxwell - high school student - pilot of Gundam Hellfire

Adler Barton - junior instructor at Space Academy - pilot of Gundam Taliesin

Cerelia "Neo" Winner - car racer for Colony 04 - pilot of Gundam Sandstorm Zero

Cavan Merquise - Officer of Preventer - pilot of Gundam Scorpion

Xylon Riyet - military academy student

Severn Cawley - mechanic apprentice

Anima Ryoiji - car racer for Colony 01

Tani Walker - high school student

Julian Kaspari - assassin/bounty hunter

Daemon Hallsfield - senator for Northern European sector

Sean Johnston - senator aide for Daemon Hallsfield

**Additional Characters:**

Heero Yuy - Commander of Preventer

Duo Maxwell - Leader of Sweepers

Trowa Barton - Captain of Space Force

Quatre Raberba Winner - head of Winner Corp./leader of Colony 04

Wufei Chaing - Major of Preventer/undercover informant

Zechs Merquise - ret. Colonel of Preventer

Relena Peacecraft-Yuy - Foreign Minister of Colonies

Mariemaia Kushrenada - President of Unified Earth and Colonies

Lady Une - Colonel of Preventer

Azure "Hawk" Williams - agent of Preventer

**Story:**

_Prologue- Waiting, In Silence_

Pictures flashed, photos taken all of them smiling.  There was a group picture where everyone posed, all the Gundam pilots and their parents and siblings.  Suddenly the group picture caught on fire and burned at the corners then made their way towards the center.  The picture was dropped into a trashcan where it crumpled up into a melted ball of paper and ink.

"How soon should we prepare?" a voice asked kicking the trash can away.

"Not yet, let them think they have won," another replied the first one.

Severn Cawley and Xylon Riyet watched as more of the photos burned up in the trash can.  When all were done, both men turned and watched the oceans of Florida Base wash up, brining some metal parts up to the sandy shore.

"Has the senator been informed of the present situation with Foreign Minister Peacecraft-Yuy and President Kushrenada?" Xylon asked the older teen.

"Yeah, he's not too happy about it.  He said that it'll make things harder for him, but Sean said to him that he's got a plan," Severn replied and Xylon looked at him curiously.  "Tell me this Xylon, who are we actually pulling the strings for?"

"No one, this is for revenge…tell the senator not to rush, we need to think our strategies out, let them mull over their victory.  We'll strike when they least expect it," Xylon replied then turned around and headed back up a path that led to a posh looking hotel that overlooked the bay area of Florida.  Severn didn't know why a hotel would be situated next to a military base; but then again, he never questioned his orders.

He raked a hand through his dirty blonde hair, having it let it grown long, almost to his shoulders.  Things just weren't going to get any easier with the new breed of Gundam pilots, but he and Xylon had to succeed for their own gain.  _If only…Severn thought then shook it out of his head.  It was not right for him to dwell on the past, only focus on the present and future situations._

                                    *                      *                      *

_Chapter One - First Steps_

Paris, France

Rain.  Of course.  Reyna Maxwell shook her head ruefully as she pushed out into the quad, a sky right out of a horror film greeting her.  True, Paris in late October wasn't exactly all sunshine and bows like it was in spring but was it really to much to ask for a girl to have a little sunshine on her birthday?  It had been drizzling on and off all week, the sun never once gracing the earth below with so much as a ray.  She was beginning to think that the sun was just some elaborate myth people believed in just to relieve the monotony of their gray little world.

Normally, she loved the rain, loved listening to it strike the room of her home while she was bundled safe and dry in her bed with a mug of cocoa.  Or being caught in a real storm, the kind that soaked her to the bone and created huge puddles for her to splash in--that was okay, too.  But this relentless fizzly little rain of the sort that just sank in your skin slowly and left a chill there was beginning to wear thin.  

She shifted from foot to foot, adjusting her backpack and casting an annoyed glare behind her.  "I don't suppose we're leaving anytime soon, are we?"

"Give me just a second?" a muffled voice said.  Reyna rolled her eyes, moving to the side to let other students pass and watching as her friend rustled through her huge knapsack, very nearly falling into it.

"I swear, Tani, if your backpack gets any bigger, I'm gonna have to carry it for you," Reyna said.

There was a non-committal snort as her friend sat back, arm digging through her belongings in determination.  Reyna was stuck once again by just how small her friend was--her backpack was very nearly as large as she was.  How she managed to carry it and walk at the same time was something Reyna would never know.  

Tani laughed in delight, fishing her hands out of the knapsack in triumph.  One of her prizes was an umbrella, for which Reyna was very grateful seeing as she had forgotten her own this morning and had walked to school huddling in her raincoat and shivering.  The other prize was a medium-sized gift wrapped rectangle.  

"Happy birthday!" Tani all but bounced to her feet, thrusting the package in Reyna's hand.

"Tani, you shouldn't have," Reyna's fingers closed around the package gingerly.  

Her friend frowned, her brown eyes scolding.  "Now, I know you said you didn't want anything for your birthday but...  It's your birthday!  How can I not get you something?  What kind of friend would I be?"

"The kind who actually listens when her friend says no to something," Reyna quipped, then softened as she saw Tani's pixy-like features turn downcast.  She reached out and hugged the girl.  "Anyway, I appreciate it.  What is it?"

"You have to open it," Tani insisted, her face all smiles again.

She weigh the pros and cons of waiting but seeing as how Tani would probably explode if she waited too much longer, she began tearing into the package.  

"You really meant to keep this a surprise, huh?" Reyna grunted, tugging at a heavily taped area.  

With a satisfyingly loud rip, the rest of the paper fell away with Tani scooping it up as it fell.  Reyna stared at her gift.

"It's a box," she noted.  And a very pretty one too. The sort her mother would have called a keepsake chest. She ran her hand over the rosewood surface,  her fingers tracing over the carved roses and twisting vines that ran the length of it.

"Not just a box," Tani insisted, "Open it."

Reyna studied her friend, then the box before opening it.  She had to use both hands for it caught a bit, the scent of newly finished wood hitting her nostrils but she managed to pry it open.  Her eyes widened when she saw the contents, racing to meet Tani's sparkling ones, "Um..."

"Is that a good 'Um' or a bad one?" Tani teased, suddenly appearing anxious.  "I know it was presumptious of me but you had expressed an interest and I saw the box the other day when I was shopping and then I saw the rest and just had to..."

Letting her friend's babbling take a backseat, Reyna carefully examined the contents in question.  The inside of the box was lined top and bottom with dark scarlet velvet, the kind that made her fingers twitch to touch.  Resting on the velvet were a variety of items.  A flash of silver caught her attention first and she carefully juggled the box in one hand, lifting a small silver dagger out first.  

"I know how you like knives and guns and all," Tani lowered her voice, coming to stand at her shoulder to shield her persual from prying eyes.  "Neo said you'd like something like this and I saw it at the flea market the other day and... just thought of you."

It was a good knife.  Excuse her, dagger.  The silver hilt tapered off into smooth pommel and the leather sheathed blade was long and needle-like.  More than anything Reyna wanted to sit down and remove the bindings to look at the weapon more closely but seeing how she was at school and all, she was already pushing it.  With some regret, she laid the dagger back to rest and turned to the other items.

There were a few small squat candles of various colors and scents.  Scent was a big thing with Tani.  She was into aromatherapy in a big way, continually mixing and creating new scents with Reyna often serving as her test subject.  Not that Reyna complained too much; a lot of what she created smelled so damn good she had Tani whip up another bottle for her.  Which led her to the next item.  She lifted a clear green bottle up, holding it between her thumb and index finger.

"Is this what I think it is?" she asked, a note of excitement creeping into her voice.

Tani nodded.  "I made it for you.  Actually, that one, and that bottle, and the one next to it are all for you.   In honor of your birthday."

There was a bottle of stones and some dried rose petals and a few other thing of interest but she bypassed them in favor of eyeing the largest item in the box. In the middle of the interior was another box--this one blue with a woman with an owl on her shoulder painted there. In clean simple lettering, the word Tarot was visible.  Reyna ran her hand over the box uneasily, not sure if she was pleased or not.

"You seemed interested in learning," Tani shrugged.  She sounded far more nonchalant than she actually appeared.

"I was," Reyna said distantly.  In learning but that didn't necessarily mean she wanted to practice.  Aromatherapy and crystals and tarot--those were all Tani's domain and while she found the mystical aspects intriguing, the soldier part of her brain was telling her she was an idiot to even harbor a flicker of belief in anything beyond the concrete comfort of her fists and weapons.  That didn't stop her from handing Tani the wooden box, so she could open the cards for a better look.  Peeling away the cellophane wrapping, she put aside the instruction book and the two blank cards to look at the actual cards themselves.  Her mouth quirked when she saw the first card up.  

Tani peeked down and snickered.  "Oooh, the Lovers.  Expecting someone tall, dark, and mysterious anytime soon, Reyna?"

"Idiot," she retorted affectionately.  "Like I have anyone tall, dark, and mysterious."

Well, she did, she admitted on further reflection.  Or thought she had.  Tall, dark, mysterious *idiots* who didn't call their...friend? girlfriend?  Reyna decided to settle on the term 'significant other', thinking it was the most neutral term she could come up with, on their birthdays.  Neo had called, Cavan had sent roses (and her eyebrows still shot up at the thought), and even Adler had sent a short, but pleasant email wishing her many happy returns of the day.  From Vailo Yuy, she had received zip, nada, zilch.  

"Anyway..." Reyna drawled, determined not to get upset by thinking about her wayward... She gave up trying to classify Val and turned to Tani waiting anxiously.  "Thank you for the gifts.  All of them."

Tani's grin could have put the sun to shame--had it been out, Reyna amended with a vicious glare at the sky.  Before she could say or do anything else, the smaller girl had thrown her arms around her and was hugging her, very nearly causing her to drop her gifts.  

"Oops," Tani raked a hand through her short red curls, peering up at Reyna sheepishly.  "So you're not upset?"

She was indicating the Tarot cards.  Reyna shook her head.  No, she wasn't mad, a little surprised but not mad.  Besides getting mad and trying to stay mad at Tani was an exercise in futility.

"And you'll start practicing with them?"

Reyna narrowed her eyes.  "We'll see," she said mock sternly.  "Honestly, Tani, I don't know how you can remember what all the cards mean.  I'll have to look in the book all the time."

"You have to study the pictures.  Besides, once you start using them, you'll see how easy it gets."

She started to point out that there was no guarantee that she would start practicing but she let it ride.  Partly because she wasn't too sure that she wouldn't.  She briefly wondered what Val would think if she started using Tarot cards.  He'd probably laugh, she thought moodily.

"Why the long face?" Tani asked.

"Do I have a long face?" Reyna waved it off.  "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About Val?"

Reyna stared at her friend, once again taken by surprise.  Although she didn't appear it, Tani was amazingly perceptive, her guesses hitting the nail on the head more often than not.  "Reading my mind again?"

Tani shook her head.  "Lucky guess," her expression turned sympathetic.  "Haven't heard anything?"

"Not for a few weeks, no," Reyna sighed.  Maybe she was an idiot to think anything would have worked out anyway.  After all, Val was spending this semester in Alexandria, training to be a better 'perfect' soldier.  He was probably too busy to even think about her, much less remember she was turning seventeen today.  

Seventeen.  She could hardly believe it.  Less than a year ago, she hadn't expected to make it on a day to day basis let alone all the way to the ripe old age of seventeen. Not with Tarrant gone.  It hurt still, to think of his death but it was no longer paralyzing.  Maybe it would have been easier if there had been a body to mourn, a grave she could visit to place flowers but she didn't have that luxury. This was the first birthday that would be hers alone and the thought was unsettling, almost numbing.  Maybe that was why she had turned down her parents' intentions to throw a huge party for her.  She didn't really want to be confronted by lots of people reminding her with all their wishes that her birthday should be *their* birthday.  Far better to just have a quiet dinner with her parents.  To be truthful, she would have liked it if the other Gundam pilots could have been with her on this day.  Even though they'd all gone their separate ways months ago, Reyna still counted them as her closest friends--no, as part of her family.  It just wasn't to be, she concluded somewhat sadly.  Neo was touring the racing circuit on L4, Cavan was aiding his father and just couldn't get away, and God only knew what Adler was doing.  Val...  Reyna sighed.

"Maybe he'll call when you get home?" Tani offered.

"Maybe." Reyna did not sound convinced.

"Come on," Tani opened her umbrella and managed to lift her loaded bookbag on one shoulder, "We can stop on the way home and have a fudge cake at Lamia's.  My treat."

"Well, if you feel like shelling out the money," Reyna took the umbrella from her.  "Need any help?"

"Nope," she grunted, swinging her pack onto the other shoulder, "I'm fine.  Got it."

Reyna shook her head, "You are such a masochist, Tani."

"Huh?"

"Why you insist on carting all that stuff around on your back like a turtle is beyond me," Reyna cocked her head, glaring at the offending pack.  Once, not too long ago, she'd tried to be a good friend and help Tani carry her books around and had very nearly thrown her back trying to lift the damn heavy thing.  

"Is it my fault that you're such a wimp?" Tani stuck her tongue out.

"Witch," Reyna shot back affectionately. This was a game they'd played many times before.

"Bitch," Tani snickered.

Reyna clasped her heart in mock pain.  "Oooh, you've wounded me to the quick."

"The truth is never pretty," Tani grinned.  

Reyna stuck her tongue out at her friend.  Tani laughed and Reyna joined her after a minute or two more of making faces.  Sometimes it amazed her how her life had become so...normal in such a quick space of time.  It was hard to believe that only a few months ago, she'd been part of the last line of defense for Earth and now here she was, acting like any other teenager she knew.  

The rain had picked up, the faint drizzle turning into a slow, trickling downpour as they made their way across the quad to the front gate.  She was grateful for that one of them had remembered to bring an umbrella, even if they were having to nearly walk on top of each other to avoid getting wet.  She shivered, glaring at her legs and wishing for once that she was as tiny as Tani was.  At least then she'd fit completely under the damn umbrella and the legs of her jeans wouldn't be getting soaked.  

Beside her, Tani inhaled sharply.  "Oh, wow!"

"What?" she groused, still glaring her legs and shoes.  

"The hottest guy I've ever seen is dead ahead.  Oh my God," Tani was very nearly drooling.

"Hmm?" Reyna lifted her eyes...

...and felt her eyes widen and jaw very nearly hit the pavement.

"He is soooooooo gorgeous," Tani was gushing.  

Yes, Reyna thought in a daze.  He certainly was--in fact, she thought she had never seen him look better.

Vailo Yuy was standing near the front entrance of the gate, a huge black umbrella shielding him from the elements.  He was wearing military drab and somehow managing to make it look like high fashion.  Then again, Reyna thought, eyeing his slender, sinewy form, there was something about a man in uniform.  Especially this man in uniform.  Her eyes followed the cut of the material and the way it clung to him, making him seem older and taller. Or the way it brought out his skin tones to a warm gold, making those brilliant blue eyes a darker sapphire.  His normally touseled hair was hidden, a few strands peeking out of a flat-topped, brimmed hat.  Reyna's fingers twitched with the near uncontrollable urge to run up there, steal that cap, and run her hands through those dark locks.  Of course, there was the distinct possibility that if she rumpled him, he might kill her.  At least I'd get to die happy, she smirked, remembering how soft those dark locks were beneath her fingers.  

"Hey," Tani elbowed her sharply.  "What's up?"

"Hmm?"

"You look like the proverbial cat who's just eaten the equally proverbial canary.  What gives?" 

Reyna shrugged while Tani studied her through slitted eyes.  She followed Reyna's gaze back to Val, then stared at her again.  Her pert face went through an astonishing array of changes as suddenly two and two stared being put together.  "You know him?!" she squealed.

"Shut up, Tani," she hissed, her cheeks flooding with color as she felt a pair of familiar eyes settle on her, a smirk starting to twitch at the corner of his mouth.  Well, damn, Reyna thought.  She wouldn't have thought it possible for Val Yuy to look even sexier than he already was--which just went to show how much she knew.

Guess the cat's out the bag, she thought wryly, handing a surprised Tani the umbrella.  Rain spattered with loud fat drops against her gray raincoat, staining her hair with tiny dripping crystals as she stepped out from under its protection.  So much for trying to stay dry.  Val didn't move, just watched her with those mysterious eyes of his as she crossed the intervening space between them.  She stopped just short of his umbrella, trying not to laugh aloud, trying to play this cool.  Or as cool as she could in light of the fact that she was probably beginning to look like a drowned rat with all the water beating down on her. 

"Vailo Yuy," she crossed her arms, "To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

She was being a bit of a bitch and she knew it but she considered it a small payback for him letting her think he'd forgotten her.  

"Your mom said you'd left the house without an umbrella," he said in that husky voice of his that had the power to stop and cloud minds.  Well, *her* mind at least.  "Pretty careless of you, Maxwell.  So I thought I'd come to rescue."

He sounded for all the world as if there was nothing out of the ordinary--as if it were something he'd normally do.  Reyna tilted her head to the side.  "My knight in shining armor, eh?  Val, don't take this the wrong way, but what the hell are you doing here?  I thought you were stationed in Alexandria."

"It's your birthday," he replied, as if that explained everything.

"That's sweet," she paused, a new concern filling her, "You didn't go AWOL just to come see me, did you, Yuy?"

He laughed.  It was such a rare occurence that it still took her by surprise each and every time, giving her a warm buzz to realize that she was the reason for it.  "Pretty confident of your charms, aren't you?"

She considered that, grinning back at him (probably like an idiot, she was sure) and striking a ridiculous pose.  "You know it, baby."

"Baby?" he raised an eyebrow, still amused.  "Hnn."

"Oooh, that's what I love about you, Yuy.  You say such sweet things," she teased.

"Ahem?"  They both turned to see Tani sliding up to them with an interested, curious smile on her face.  She struggled a moment, then held out her free hand towards Val, "Hello.  You must be Val, 'cause if you're not then Val is gonna be really upset when he finds out Reyna's such a flirt."

"Tani!" she shrieked at her friend in dismay and embarrassment.  Tani gave her an innocent look while Val chuckled, shaking the tiny hand the other girl had extended.  "Tani, I'm going to kill you--"

"No, you won't.   Honestly, Reyna, calm down--Val and I are being introduced.  I'm Tani, Tani Walker."

Val tipped his hat at her, for the first time appearing just a tad uncertain as he glanced between the girls.  It was almost worth having Tani embarrass her to see that off-kilter expression on the unflappable Val Yuy's face.  Almost.  She was still going to kill Tani later, when she got the chance.

"Weeeell," Tani drawled, winking at Reyna, "I've gotta head home.  We'll talk later, 'kay?"

"You bet we will," Reyna glared at her.  

Tani winced then chuckled, reaching out to hug her.  "Happy birthday, kiddo.  Nice meeting you, Val!"

She practically skipped off, pausing for a second to wave back at them before turning off onto the street and disappearing from view.  Then they turned back to each other, neither quite sure what to say.  Reyna rubbed the back of her neck trying to allievate some of the tension.  

"So...how are things?" she said at last after what seemed like an eternity of searching for what to say.

"Things are good.  Busy," he sounded repentant, "I'm sorry I haven't been able to get in touch with you for the last few weeks.  I've been out in field training for about the last four weeks."

Her heart picked up a bit.  So he hadn't forgotten about her.  "Yeah, well, I guess I forgive you.  This time."

He smiled--not his normal smirk, but that slow sweet smile that was just for her.  Then he frowned, "Reyna, you're getting soaked.  Get under the umbrella."

"But I might ruin your uniform," she protested, reluctantly forcing herself to stand away from him.

Clucking his tongue, he stepped closer, "My uniform will dry, Maxwell.  Now get your ass under the umbrella.  That's an order."

"Yes, sir," she snapped off a mock salute.  She put aside her smart-assed quips for a moment.  "I'm really glad you're here, Val."

"Me, too," he said softly, his fingers tracing her cheek down to her jaw.  For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her but then he reached down and took her hand in his.  "Come on, your mom will be worried."

Mom?  Reyna snorted, highly doubtful of that.  If her mother knew that Val Yuy had come to escort her home then nothing short of a nuclear holocaust would worry her.  "Still not comfortable with PDA, huh?"

"PDA?"

"Public Displays of Affection," she explained, then rolled her eyes.  "Boy, is that all they ever talk about in high school.  Mostly to say, 'No PDA, no PDA!' I swear I think the administrators are even more sex obsessed than they think we are."

"Uh-huh.  You haven't been engaged in any... PDA yourself, now have you, Reyna?" Though his voice was teasing, there was a note of questioning behind it.

She stopped short, and tugged on his free arm, forcing him to look at her.  She lifted herself up on her toes and brushed her mouth against his, watching his eyes widen in surprise.  "There.  That's my PDA for the last several months.  Kind of hard to do all that guy-girl stuff when half of the equation isn't around."

He looked relieved, probably much as she had when she'd realized who was waiting for her earlier.  Squeezing his hand, she entertwined their fingers, "Feel better?"

"I trust you, Reyna."  He said seriously, as if the question had been in doubt.

"I know that, Val.  You know how I love upholding the Maxwell family credo: I run, I hide, but ..."

"I never lie," he finished with her.  "Neither do I."

***

"Yo, Mom!  We're hoooooooooooooooome!" Reyna called as she slung the front door open.  

"Sarah Reyna Maxwell, this is not a zoo.  I can hear you perfectly well without you yelling and screaming like that."  Reyna winced.  Oooh, busted.  When Mom said her name like that it meant she'd better sit back, shut up, and take notice or her ass was grass.  

"Sorry, Mom," she replied sheepishly.  "I thought you might be in the back of the house or something."

From her position near the kitchen sink, Hildre Maxwell leaned against the counter, rolling her eyes.  "That's still not reason enough for you to screech like that.  I'm old but I'm not deaf.  Not yet anyway."

"Sorry," she repeated, throwing her backpack to the floor.  "I'm starving.  Is there anything to eat?"

Hildre shook her head.  "You are definitely your father's daughter.  Between the two of you, I don't know how we keep groceries from one week to the next."

Behind Reyna, there was a discreet cough.  She slide around, reaching out to tickle the boy behind her, her fingers flexing menacingly.  "Oh, you think that's funny, do you, Val?"

He caught her hands, twisting out of her reach before bringing up another issue.  "Sarah?" he asked quizzically.

Reyna tossed her hands up in the air in defeat.  "Thanks, Mom.  Yes, Yuy, Sarah is my first name and Reyna's my middle one.  They named me after Mom's stupid sister--"

"Reyna!"

"--sorry, Mom.  I was named after my Aunt Sarah but I like Reyna better. Happy now? Oh and if you start calling me Sarah or anything resembling it, I'll break your kneecaps and never speak to you again, got it?" She poked him in the ribs menacingly.

"Sure... Reyna," he teased.  

She stuck her tongue out at him before turning back to her mother.  "So how about it?  Any food around?"

"Yes, but not for you, young lady.  We're all going out to dinner in an hour and I don't want you spoiling your appetite," Her mother said firmly.

She wanted to protest and any other time she might have.   However, the last thing she need or wanted was for Val to think she was some sort of whiney crybaby.  "Fine," she groused and her stomach growled in agreement.  Oh, great, she thought helplessly.  Just embarrass yourself completely, Maxwell.

Maybe it was her stomach growling or maybe the pitiful expression on her face but Hildre Maxwell began shaking her head, then went to the refrigerator and threw an apple she retrieved from their to her daughter.  Reyna brightened, "Thanks, Mom!  You're the best."

"Uh-huh.  You're welcome, but that's it until dinner.  I don't want to digging around in the 'fridge the minute my back is turned."

"Promise, Ma," she managed around a few ravenous bites out of the apple.  

Val was shaking his head, "Geez, Reyna, you'd think you'd never eaten before."

Her mouth was too full for her to either respond or stick her tongue out at him so she crossed her eyes and went back to eating.  

"Is my father here?" Val asked Hildre.

Reyna's ears perked up.  Commander Yuy was here, too?  That was unexpected.  Did that mean that both of Val's parents were here?  And if so, where was Relena Peacecraft-Yuy?

"No, he went out to find Duo and tie up a few last minute details at headquaters.  They should be along anytime now," she assured him before turning a critical eye towards Reyna.  "Rey honey, you're soaked and you're soaking my clean floor.  Why don't you run upstairs and take a quick shower?"

"But..." she darted a quick glance at Val.  Hildre followed her eyes and shook her head.

"Reyna, I'm sure Val can entertain himself for a little while.  Besides, we're going out to Cafe de Flore and I'd like it you looked a little less grungy."

"Gee, thanks for the ego boost, Ma.  And why are you laughing?" she demanded of Val.  "You're supposed to be on my side!"

"Says who?" he crossed his arms.

"Men!" she sniffed, whirling around to sweep past him upstairs to her room, grumbling about the injustice of it all.

"You sound like Master Wufei, Reyna," Val's voice floated upstairs after her.

"Omae o korosou," she growled before slamming her door shut.

***

Duo Maxwell was tired.  He was tired of people poking their head in his office with stupid questions, he was sick of staring at the mountain of paper work accumulating on his desk, and to top it all off, he could feel the knot at the base of his skull threatening to turn into a real headache.  I don't need this, he swiveled in his chair and staring out the window.  The day was dying away in reddish streaks across the horizon and he could feel the temperature dropping from the thin glass sheath.  He fiddled with the pencil in his hand, tapping it against his lips then balancing it there.  He bobbed his head back and to trying to keep it balanced before it slipped.  He caught it with one clean swipe and the silence was shattered by a clapping sound.  Flushing at being caught, he turned around, ready to ream whoever had been stupid enough to enter his office uninvited.  

Heero Yuy was leaning against the door, blue eyes twinkling in amusement.  "Practicing to be a seal, Duo?  I hear the circus has a few good openings these days."

Unable to think of what else to say, Duo cracked, "Arf, arf."

Heero rolled his eyes before pulling himself off the door and dropping down into the seat across from the desk.  Duo studied his friend without comment.  Something was up, he could tell without even having to ask.  For all his dry flippancy, Heero was tense.  Duo could read it in every ounce of his body language.  There were dark grooves under his weary sapphire eyes.  Duo narrowed his eyes.  He had all the appearance of a man who hadn't been sleeping well if at all of late.  And since the world was more or less at peace for the time being, he could only conclude the matter was of a more personal matter.

"What are you staring at?" Heero snapped, startling him.  

Duo's brows knit in consternation.  "You.  I was just wondering why you look like shit."

To his credit, Heero did not reach across the desk and threaten to kill him as he might have once upon a time.  He looked like he very much wanted to but his sense of humor got the better of him for once.  "Trust you to be honest to a fault."

"Just living up to my rep," he leaned back in his chair, propping his feet on his desk and causing a few leaflets to go flying.  Heero caught them with Perfect Soldier precision and made quick work of shuffling back into order before handing them across the desk to him.

"Hey, thanks man," Duo beamed taking the papers from him.  He skimmed through the first few pages.  Ugh, more contracts for him to pour over and sign.  Somehow, somewhere along the way, someone had gotten the idea that he was a bureaucrat and not told him about it until he was ankle-deep in paperwork and negotiations.  I need a vacation, he rubbed the back of his neck.  Preferably somewhere with no phones, vidlinks, or modern convienence of any kind.  Camping.  He straightened, now there was an idea.   He hadn't been camping in ages.  Mostly because Hildre really wasn't into all that great, mosquito ridden outdoors.  Maybe he'd take Reyna along.  It would be a great time to do some father-daughter bonding.  He'd been too busy of late to really do anything other than have a few brief conversations at breakfast and dinner.  For someone who'd always made an effort to be an integral part of his kids' life, it was disturbing to say the least.  He'd make it up to her.  Somehow.  Tonight would be a good start.

"So to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Commander Yuy?" 

Heero looked puzzled.  "You invited us for Reyna's birthday, I thought."

Duo sighed.  Heero had come a long way but he could still be so literal-minded occasionally.  "That was a joke.  Oh, never mind.  So are Val and Relena back at the house?"

"Val is."

Duo's head rose sharply.  "Just Val?  Not that Reyna won't be thrilled about that or anything but where's Relena, might I ask?"

Was it his imagination or did Heero tense up at Relena's name?  "She couldn't make it,"  Heero replied, "She sends her apologies though."

Ooookay, now I know something is up, Duo thought.  If his haggard appearance hadn't been a clue then the defensive note in Heero's voice definitely was.  "Hey, that's okay, man.  I mean, she is Queen of the World and all.  She's probably got a million things..."

He trailed off as a scowl darkened his friend's face.  Oh, I give up, Duo thought in disgust.  Subtly is Quatre's thing not mine.  "What's wrong, Heero?"

"Nothing."

"Bullshit," Duo countered, watching as startlement flickered over Heero's features. He really wasn't in the mood to play games.  If something was up then he wanted to know and not dance around the issue.  "What's going on between you and Relena?"

Heero glared and Duo glared right back, refusing to be intimidated by the Yuy glare o' death.  Maybe it was a testament to how worn out Heero was because for once Duo wasn't the one to back down.  Heero's steel gaze drifted away and became intent on the window over Duo's shoulder.

"Nothing's going on between me and Relena," Heero said, voice soft and laced with an emotion Duo couldn't identify.  "At all."

It took a full second for the impact of Heero's words to sink in and they left Duo stunned once they did.  Duo's knuckles whitened as he gripped the side of the chair, using it to propel himself upright.  "Heero, are you and Relena...?"

"No, we're not getting a divorce," He shook his head.  "At least not yet.  Legally, we're separated at the moment."

"What the hell happened?" Duo demanded.  "I thought you two were like to bugs in a rug."

"Appearances can be deceiving.  Things haven't been right between us for... quite some time."

Duo blinked.  "Shit, Heero.  I mean, I'm sorry.  I-- God, how long?"

Heero got up and loped around the desk, leaning against the wall and staring at the activity outside.  "How long have we been separated or how long have things been strained between us?"

"Either.  Both.  Why didn't you tell me?" Duo was shocked that he'd somehow managed to miss something this huge.  For God's sake, Heero is my best friend.  What does it say about me that I didn't even pick up on this?

Heero shrugged, a deceptively casual motion.  "You had things going on and it wasn't something I wanted to burden you with."

Duo stood up, and caught Heero's arm, forcing him to look the former Deathscythe pilot in the face.  "Don't give me that.  You're my best friend, Heero, and if something major like this is going on, I damn well expect you to tell me.  You're not a burden.  Understand?"

His tone was fierce but damn it, he was upset.  At Heero for not telling him and for thinking that he was some kind of burden.  I thought he'd gotten past that, Duo swore.  Maybe the separation from Relena had re-opened old wounds.  Shit, Duo thought.  The last thing he wanted to hear was Heero had self-destructed or done something equally stupid because he was feeling less than worthwhile.

Heero was watching him and made a face at him, throwing him.  "I'm not going to do anything stupid, Duo, so get those thoughts out of your head right now."

Giving him a crooked smile, Duo said, "Can't blame a guy for being concerned.  So, you're a mind reader now, huh?"

Heero shook his head.  "No. Relena asked me the same thing the day I moved out.  She's not a bad person, Duo, and it's not her fault we can't live together."

"And who's fault is it?" Duo challenged.  "Yours?"

"Yes.  Oh, hell, I don't know, Duo."  Heero actually started pacing in agitation.  "Things haven't been right between us since Akane died.  She won't admit it but I think she blames me for his death.  I do, too."

"That's bullshit," Duo blurted. "Akane died because of an accident.  It wasn't your fault, it wasn't anyone's fault."

Heero grunted, clearly not buying it.  Duo ground his teeth.  Damn it.  He was going to punch Relena Peacecraft Yuy the next time he saw her.  Well, maybe not punch her--she did have all those burly bodyguards and all but he'd give her a stern talking to.

"So thing were strained between you two.  What was the straw that broke the camel's back?"

"Val."

"What about Val?"

"She thinks I've turned him into... Well, me.  I think her exact words were I had taken both her sons away from her.  She didn't want Val to become like me.  She didn't want him to be a soldier and when he joined the fight against Omicron, she washed her hands of him.  And me.  We haven't shared a room, let alone a bed for the last year,"  Heero's voice stumbled.

Duo winced.  Okay, things were worse than he'd thought.  From all those damned magazines Hildre read about how to make your marriage even better than it already was (something he didn't understand in the slightest), he knew that when couples stopped sharing a bed and expressing physical affection towards one another, the marriage was pretty much over.  

"You've talked a lot about Relena and her feelings," Duo observed.  "How do you feel, Heero."

"I'll survive."

"I know that.  I'm asking what you think about all this.  Heero, do you love Relena?"

Oooh, judging from the expression sliding onto Heero's face, he'd overstepped his bounds. Seeing as I'm already in trouble, I may as well press my luck.  He poked the Japanese man's arm.  "Well, do you?"

Heero caught his wrist and squeezed it, eyes flashing with warning.  

"Oi, Heero, you can get mad at me all you want but breaking my wrist isn't going to do anything except make you feel guilty later," Duo hissed, trying to get his arm free.

Heero snorted but he did let Duo do, sitting down beside him on the edge of the desk.  Neither said anything as Duo tried to figure out what next.  He thought it fairly obvious that Heero did not need to bottle this up, so--

"I don't know."  The words were near inaudible, but Duo caught them.  

"Heero?"

"I thought I did love her.  I think I still do--I--," Heero drew in a deep breath, "It's just we can't seem to live together anymore without hurting each other."

"Just because you love someone that doesn't mean you can live with them, Heero.  Sometimes, no matter how hard we try or what we do, we can't make things right--either for ourself or the other person."

Heero considered this.  "And what do you do if that's the case."

Duo crossed his arms, lost in thought and memory.  "Move on.  Try to pick up the pieces, salvage what you can, and then just move on."

He turned to look at his friend, a steely note creeping into his voice.  "That doesn't mean disappearing into the night, mind you.  Or shutting your friends out.  I'm here--we're all here for you."

"I know that."

Duo lightly smacked the back of Heero's head.  "Then why the hell didn't you come tell  me sooner.  What did you think I was going to do, point and laugh.  Shit, Heero,  you know better than that. You stood by me when Tarrant died, do you think I'd do any less for you now?"

"It wasn't that," Heero admitted   "It's just--"

"It's just what?"

Heero shrugged but Duo already knew the reply without him having to say a word.  Heero didn't want to appear weak.  It went against everything he had been trained to be; training that had, in spite of everything, not left him.  

"All right, tough guy, I'll let you off this time but if you keep something this big from me again, I'll--" Duo raised his fist threateningly to emphasize his point.

"I won't keep you out of the loop," Heero said, then his voice softened.  "Thanks, Duo."

He knew how much it cost Heero to be open like this. He just wished he could do more. "No problem, man.  How is Val taking it?"

"Better than you might think.  He and Relena don't see eye to eye, period.  I think he's more relieved than anything else."

"He's just protective of his old man," Duo remarked.  Which was true.  Val tended to hover around Heero like he was the father in the relationship and Heero was the child.  If Heero and Relena were truly having as rough a time as Heero made out then he could imagine just how chill relations between mother and son were at the moment.

"Hnn."

"Mr. Talkative strikes again," Duo teased, then a thought struck him.  "Um, Heero?  Was Reyna by any chance at home when you left Val?"

"No, but he said something about going to pick her up."

All the alarms in Duo's protective daddy system started blaring.  "Uh-huh.  How about we finish up here and get home?"

Heero looked amused.  "They're hardly going to jump each other's bones while we're gone."

"Just so long as they not jumping anything, I'll be happy," Duo replied darkly.

***

Reyna eyed herself critically in the mirror, feeling more nervous than she had in a while.  Had it just been her and her parents, tonight would not have been a big deal.  It would have been a pleasant evening and meaningful, yes but adding Val Yuy to the equation added nervewracking as well.  God, when did I become such a ... girl, she rolled her eyes.  Since when do I care what a guy thinks of  me?  

Then again, this wasn't just any guy.  This was Val and that made all the difference.  

She'd heard once that love makes you do the wacky.  Well, she didn't know if she'd go that far but she'd agree it made you feel and do some pretty stupid things.  Like now, Reyna thought, feeling self-conscious as she stared into the full length mirror. Dad is gonna spaz when he sees me dressed like this, she nibbled on her upper lip.  He was already a little too overprotective for Reyna's own good where boys were concerned and this was going to send him into orbit. Sometimes she wondered if her dad wouldn't be happier throwing her in a convent, locking her up there, and throwing away the key.  

The girl looking back at her from the mirror was as far from Reyna's normal attire as could be.  She was dressed in a pair of leather pants that hugged and accentuated her legs. Reyna had bought them on a dare from Tani and had promptly thrown them in the closet under something, fairly sure that she would never have the nerve to actually wear them.  Still, she had to admit the pants set off the deep crimson sleeveless turtleneck she wore perfect.  She reached for her hair, tempted to pull it into her normal, comforting braid then hesitated.  Reaching out, she took her hairbrush and ran it through her newly dried locks gently.  Then she reached out and picked up a pair of silver dragonfly barrettes, sliding just above her ears.  Then she lowered her hands to her cheeks, the contrast between her warm cheeks and icy hands giving her an odd rush.  "Are you sure you're ready for this?" she muttered.

No, she reflected but it was a little late to chicken out now.  She'd faced down Omicron troops without blinking and what phased her? A boy.  Great, you're going soft, Maxwell.  She gave up arguing and after one last look, headed downstairs, grateful that she'd decided against heeled boots.  

She poked her head in various rooms in the house, casually waving to her mother and slipping away before she could say anything about her daughter's attire.  She'd cross that bridge when she came to it.  Although she didn't think the problem was going to be with her mother.  Her dad on the other hand...

"Hey," she said softly, pausing in the doorway of the living room.  Val was leaning back into the folds of the couch, the remote to the vid screen in hand.  He looked up at her distractedly, then did what could only be termed as a double-take.  She lifted her eyebrows.  "Something wrong?"

His eyes roved up and down her and she realized with a pleasant jolt that he liked what he was seeing.  "Not at all.  Not at all."

She mock rolled her eyes.  "Okay, Yuy, put your tongue back in your mouth.  I know I'm cute but you're embarrassing me with all the drool."

"Something tells me that you're not too upset with me," he shrugged then held out his hands.  "Come here."

She pushed off the door frame, feeling a rush of tingling warmth run up her body as she drew closer.  Her face felt hot but her fingers were cold--very nearly numb and shaking with anticipation.  He took one of her hands, closing around it very gently and pulling her forward.  With a startled exclaimation and a rising blush, Reyna found herself straddling his lap.  "This is cozy," she stuttered.  

Val stroked her face, tracing from temple to the line of her jaw, then taking her chin in his hand, he pressed a soft kiss against her lips.  All her worries, all her fears fell away, and suddenly she was just a regular girl sharing a kiss with her ...boyfriend.  She felt a small glow when her mind finally allowed her to use that word and Val in the same sentence.  

They tensed as the kiss changed, becoming something more electrified.  Val's hands slid down from her shoulders to somewhere around her waist and she gave herself over to the moment, to being held like that.  He was warm and she felt some of that warmth transfer over to her until she wanted nothing more than to wrap herself up in it.    With some reluctance she allowed him to pull away, their faces still just mere centimeters apart.

"Happy Birthday," he whispered, his breath tickling her skin.  

She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him again when he leaned back, just out of reach.  "What?" she asked, unable to keep a note of irritation out of her voice.

"I have a present for you."

"You mean, I wasn't getting it just then?" she asked impishly.

"Baka," he tapped her nose affectionately. "Get up for just a second."

She made a big production of it, giving him a childish pout and flopping down beside him.  He fumbled with the overcoat laying just off the side of the couch before extracting a silver wrapped box.  Another box, Reyna thought thinking of Tani.  Somehow though she didn't picture Val as the gift giving type--unless of course he'd bought her a new gun or something.  

Still, she allowed him to drop the gift in her hands, leaning back against him as she tore the wrapping away.  She struggled, trying to pry the gray top off the box until Val with a concentrated frown, examined the box and located the problem.  After he'd peeled away several strips of clear tape, he handed it back to her.  "My hero," she giggled.

With that last obstacle cleared away, the box top slid away quite easily.  Reyna went still as her eyes traced the lines of long silver crucifix-type item with a loop in the top.  Runes and hieroglyphs ran up and down the surface of ornament (which was very nearly as big as her hand) and she brushed a hesitant finger against their rough ridges.  "Val, I--I--it--"

"Do you like it?" he asked.

She nodded emphatically, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.  What is it?"

"It's a type of crucifix called an Ankh," he explained.  "See, the loop at the top?  It symbolizes immortality--kind of like the circle around a Celtic cross.  The Egyptians believed that the Ankh is symbolic of life, more specifically, life eternal."

She picked up the item, twirling it around so that she could see both the ornamented front and the smooth mirror-like back.  Light flickered and shone off it it as the sun might on clear water.  It was perfect, far too good for her.  She glanced at Val, eyes questioning but not quite sure what to ask or where to begin.

He laughed at her flummoxed expression.  "I got it because I saw it and thought of you, silly.  Because I wanted to find something that was nearly as ... beautiful as you are."

That did it, she decided, throwing her arms around him.  I am completely head over heels, ass-backwards for you, Val Yuy.  If you don't want my heart then it's too late because you've got it, she thought as she pressed a few kisses of appreciation against his cheek, jaw, and finally mouth.  

"I guess you do like it," he smirked at her.  

"Uh-huh.  Want to help me put it on?"  Not waiting for his reply, she pressed the necklace into his hands and turned around, lifting her hair up to give him easy access. He draped it around her neck, calloused hands brushing her skin as he struggled with the clasp.  The chain was cool, sending a pleasant shock through her that was quickly dispelled as her body warmed it.   

Touching the ornament, she eyed it then him.  "Eternity, huh?"

"As eternal as some things get, I guess."  His eyes unfocused, drifting away from her with those periodic fits of withdrawal he occasionally got.  Well, not tonight, she decided.

"Hey," she tapped her fingernails against his forehead.  Those sapphire eyes lost their murky haze and came rapidly back into glaring focus.  "That's better.  So what's it gonna take to keep you with me tonight?"

"I am with you."

"Uh-huh.  Yeah, you were here physically but you're about a million miles away mentally.  What's on your mind?"

He studied her, reaching out and stroking her newly brushed hair.  She leaned into that caress, waiting with more patience than she'd have thought herself capable of, more patience than she would have given most people.  This was different however.  "I guess," he said slowly, "I was just thinking about how things turn out."

"Hmm?"

"About how life changes so quickly in such a short amount of time," he drew her to him and held her.  "About what we lose and what we gain."

Reyna was silent.  She knew what he was referring to and knew that he felt the aching sense of loss almost as completely as he did.  While Akane had not been Val's twin, he had been his beloved older brother.  He had looked to him as Reyna had to Tarrant to take care of him and look out for him.  The sort of things that were always taken for granted until they were gone forever.  

Val understood that as she did. Moreover, he understood the ghost that haunted her--because he had a ghost of his own.  One that he had begun to finally lay to rest but would in some way always be a part of him.  Everything changes, she mulled, but life goes on.  That truth had hurt her months ago but now she accepted it.  Gad, she wrinkled her nose, does this mean that I'm finally starting to grow up?  The concept was a frightening and exciting one to say the least.

Sliding back, she brushed Val's unruly bangs back and rubbed her nose against his.  "Yuy, it's my birthday and I can have anything I want right?"

Interested, he nodded, a cautious expression taking up residence on his chiseled features.  

"Then I order you to have fun tonight and be with me.  Like I'm here with *you*," she said, leaving the unspoken 'and not Tarrant.'

"Mission accepted," he agreed, eyes softening even more.  

There was a loud stage cough and Reyna very nearly jumped out of the chair and into Val's lap in startlement.  "Shit," she swore, climbing halfway up his arm before she managed to get a good look at the cause of her sudden fright.  Oh damn, she thought finding that they had an audience of two staring down at them--namely Commander Yuy and her father.  She wasn't too sure she liked the gleam in her dad's eyes.

"Hey, Dad," Val called.  She wanted to ring his neck for sounding so damn casual about things while she was so...so.. Flustered?  Hell, yes, flustered would be a good term.  

"Val," his father nodded at him, looking decidely amused (something apparently her father didn't share in), "And happy birthday to you, Reyna."

"Thank you, Commander," she nodded.  She tried to summon up her best 'Who, me?  What did I do?' smile.  "Hey, Dad, how are things?"

He wasn't fooled for a second.  "Pretty busy.  For the both of us, I'd say."

Oh damn.  She sighed, knowing full well that she had a lecture coming to her in the very near future.  

***

_Sometimes there's nothing you can do but wait and take life as it comes.  Heero sat back, once again pondering Duo's words as he let his gaze drift around the dinner table.  All in all, he thought the evening had been a success.  Certainly the birthday girl looked radiant although that might have had more to do with the fact that his son hadn't let her get more than a foot away from him for most of the evening.  Heero suppressed a smirk as he noticed the couple holding hands under the table.  It was a good thing Duo was occupied talking to Hildre or else, she and Val would both be getting a death glare to put *him* to shame._

He supposed he didn't blame Duo for his overprotectiveness.  After all, Reyna was his only daughter--his only child now.  It was only natural that he'd be defensive where she was concerned.  Although it had never crossed his mind, he had to admit, Duo was pretty good at playing the stern, hellfire-and-brimstone-if-you-touch-my-daughter guardian.  Any other boy would be scared shitless by this time.  Reyna was lucky that his son was just as stubborn as she was, he reflected, turning his wine glass and watching the light bounce back and to.  Reyna was good for Val, he thought watching the pair through slitted eyes.  She brought out something in his son that the boy needed (whether Val knew it or not).  

Relena had done much the same for him.  Once.

He was tired.  The weight of his weariness hit him suddenly and there was nothing he could do except bear it.  Unlike Duo, he wasn't good at publically airing his pain.  His best friend had been right when he'd said that Heero internalized his feelings.  It was what he'd always done.  Yes, he'd shared much of them with Relena--before the trouble had started but there was always something of him that held back.  He just wasn't comfortable with emotional displays, especially not from himself.  He didn't like the feeling of exposure it gave him.

He missed his wife but he didn't miss all the fighting they'd been doing lately.  He envied Duo and Hildre their tender moments, the way they so easily expressed their love for each other without having to worry about outside forces trying to tear them apart.  From the get go, things had always been difficult for Heero and his wife.  Their world views were diametrically opposed for one and for another, Heero had never felt completely worthy of her.  And other people had felt the same too and had had no reservations about telling Relena that.  Maybe they were right, he thought moodily.  Certainly things had been less than... sterling between them of late.

He just wished he knew how to fix things, how he could bridge the ever widening gap between them but he just wasn't trained to handle this sort of thing.  This is part of the reason J didn't want me having emotions, he rubbed his temple.  Emotions clouded the mind, made soldiers lose focus--they were a liability.  He blinked, a thread of fear edging up his spine.  Did I just think that?  Things were worse than he'd thought if he was falling back into his old defensive patterns and letting the Perfect Soldier nearer to the surface than he had been in years.

I'll always be a part of you, the Soldier whispered.  Part, but not all, he thought wishing he believed that was true.  You were nothing before me and what will you be without me?  What do you have without me?  Your wife?  He felt the Soldier laugh.  Really, if that's so then where is she now?  Heero didn't have an answer for that and he felt more troubled than he had in years.  

She fears me, the Soldier replied, and because of that she fears you.  You'll never find the peace you desire, Heero Yuy.  You can hide behind all the titles and wives you want, but you are what you are.  A soldier.  A killer born and bred for war.  

"Heero?"

He jerked towards the sound of that soft voice to meet a pair of dark, concerned eyes.  Hildre touched his forearm, "What is it?"

Heero spied a look across the table and shook his head subtly so as not to attract Val's, Duo's, or Reyna's attention.  "I'm all right, Hildre."  His voice sounded low, strained even to him.

Hildre clearly didn't believe him.  "You don't have to be you know," she said quietly, making it an invitation to talk.

He wished he could take up that invitation.  Right now he'd like nothing better than to sit somewhere and unburden himself in the face of her gentle anxiety.  She would listen, he knew, and she wouldn't judge him.  Not the way he judged himself, nor the way Relena judged him.  But she wouldn't understand.  She couldn't understand.  She had fought in the war, but she had not been a creation of that war.  She hadn't been taught that her humanness was a liability, a crutch that had to be cast away until she was nothing more than a near automation.  

"I appreciate your..." He struggled with the words.  Why was it so hard to say what he felt?  Why couldn't he just admit that he was hurting?  That hard shell he thought he'd long moved out of was suddenly there again and he chafed under it.  

"Heero."

He shifted to meet Duo's discerning gaze.  The former Deathscythe pilot had a solemn expression on his normally jovial features.  "I still feel him, too.  Moving around under my skin some times."

Heero inhaled sharply.  Did Duo really understand?  "Duo..."

His best friend shrugged, glancing at Hildre.  Something passed between them and he squeezed his wife's hand before turning back to Heero.  "The soldier," Duo said simply. "I think we all feel him.  Because none of us ever lost him."

"And it's hard to reconcile that with what we think our lives should be like now," Duo continued, voice soft.  "We think we should be normal, that we should have moved past all the nightmares and the missions but we haven't.  We're not normal, Heero.  We never were and it's wrong to expect yourself to fit into a mold that was broken for you the day you were born."

It was rare to see Duo so thoughtful.  It wasn't that his friend was stupid--very far from it but Duo was like him in one respect.  His friend wasn't one to wear his heart on his sleeve.  He kept that carefully hidden by an ever present jester's mask.  Maybe that was why they understood each other so well. In many respects they were the same, it was just the ways they dealt with their pain that differed.

"Arigato, Duo," he said, knowing that his friend would understand.  He just wished he had realized sooner how much Duo would understand.  It was wonderful not to feel quite so alone in this.  For over half of his adult life, he had been part of a pair--Heero and Relena, Queen and Commander, Mother and Father.  Now, he was on his own again and trying to cope, to readjust to that was harder than he'd thought.  And it was all too easy to fall back on past habits.

Duo grinned, then scowled as he glared down the table.  "I knew we should have seated those two across from each other."

"Duo, you wouldn't be happy unless you were sitting between them.  Now, shush and eat your dinner," Hildre chided.

"How can I eat my dinner while my daughter is being groped--no offense, Heero--right in front of me?" Duo growled, looking as if had half a mind to actually get up and carry through with his threat of separating the two.

Heero spared the couple a glance.  True, they were holding hands and their faces were awfully close, voices a low steady murmur but it was hardly what he'd call grouping.  "I think you're overstating things, Duo."

"You would say that," Duo pouted.  "He's your son."

"Duo Maxwell," Hildre, much to Heero's amusement, actually smacked Duo's hand like a disobedient child.  "You stop that and behave this instant."

"Yes, mother," he replied, morose.

"Honestly, I'm not sure which one of you is the bigger child, you or Reyna," Hildre rolled her eyes.

Heero snickered while Duo glared at Hildre, then, reluctantly, gave into the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

The rest of the meal went more or less without a hitch.  Even if Duo did toss a few meaningful glares at Val and Reyna, muttering the occasional veiled threat.  Heero was glad he had decided to accompany his son to visit the Maxwells. This was the nicest time he'd had since the separation, he decided as they left the restaurant, walking along the west bank of the Seine.

Of course, that was when the sky exploded in a kaledoscope of color and sound.

"The hell?!" Duo yelled, reaching for Hildre without thinking to shield her.  Val did the same with Reyna who was already trying to wriggle out of his grasp.  

Heero's eyes narrowed, studying the scene.  "An explosion," he announced, then his eyes widened as he realized where. "Sweeper headquarters."

"Shit!" Duo swore, taking off towards the blast site, his braid flapping in the night like a flag.  Heero wasn't far behind him.

They reached the scene in record time, with Val and Reyna on their heels.  Duo gasped, and Heero had to catch his arm to prevent him from running into the golden inferno that had once been Sweeper headquarters.

                                                *                      *                      *

Authors' Notes:

This is Shadow Chaser and Sephy calling in from the fan fiction world!  Just to tell ya, the relationship between Reyna and Val will be discussed in a small add-on fic by Sephy.  If you have any comments, you can reach Sephy at persephone@gw.zzn.com, or Shadow Chaser at shadow_chaser41@hotmail.com.  Until next chapter!


	2. Racer's Speed

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Retaliation

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Retaliation

By: Shadow Chaser and Sephy

__

Chapter 2 - Racer's Speed

The artificial sun that was in Colony 04 shone down on a black ring of asphalt. Clouds roamed the artificial sky, occasionally parting a bit to show the other side of the circular-band of the Colony. The clouds never moved that much, only the Colony did; rotating slowly to create an artificial gravity like that of the Earth, only the gravity was five percent less than the Earth's.

Down at the black ring of asphalt, multiple colors flew on the track, their speed blinding to anyone, blurring their colors to the track to form little dots that moved quickly. The racetrack of Colony 04 was home to some of the Space Grand Prix's finest drivers.

"Miss Winner," a deep voice startled Neo Winner out of her gaze at the clouds. She blinked her ocean blue eyes as she reverted her gaze to a gruff looking middle aged man who was dressed in the blue suit of a tech worker.

"Oh…uh, sorry Kenan," Neo stuttered, climbing out of the driver's seat of her sleek red racecar. She smiled faintly as she reached in the chair and grabbed her red helmet and tucked it under her left arm. "All yours Kenan, take good care of her!" Neo called back as she walked away from her racer.

"Will do Neo!" Kenan called back then proceeded to wheel the car away into its little garage tucked beneath the huge pagoda where the press box was.

Neo stared at the track once more, her eyes not really looking at the other racers out for their practice runs. Most of the other racers were in their twenties, she and a couple of others were the exception. It was only a few months back that Neo thought she wouldn't make it to another race, much less a practice…she had almost died that time…

****

Flash!

__

It was as if her mind was ripped out of her body, and stuck into a jar. She screamed as pain coursed throughout her body, touching every joint, fiber, and nerve of her. It hurt so much, so much more since they strapped some kind of device that amplified her abilities and made her feel more pain than any human would.

"Up the amplification, I want her to break," Locke Dabnerba ordered Dr. Parker who nodded gruffly and twisted a knob on a control board.

"Oh, God, Allah, why are you doing this to me?" Neo whispered as more surges of pain shot throughout her, making her muscles twitch to the own accord. Her senses were overwhelmed with the agony of her suffering. She hung limply from the metal bonds that strapped her to a bed of electric currents. Another current of electricity ran though her, and she winced a bit as the electric fiber touched the nape of her neck and entered her, running through her windpipe, making her open her mouth involuntarily and she spewed out electricity mixed with her own blood.

"It hurts doesn't it Neo? Hurts so bad that you want to die right now, don't you?" Xylon whispered into her ear as he stood next to her.

****

Flash!

Neo blinked her eyes as the flashback cleared her eyes. She shook her head a bit, her shoulder length blonde hair swaying against her driver suit. Her mind automatically clamped up from any thoughts or musings about Xylon Riyet or her experience with the Hidden Agent Project. _No…no, I don't want to go back there; he's dead_, Neo thought as she walked towards the locker room where the other drivers usually showered and put their stuff in. She was so intent on the sounds of the speeding cars passing on the track and lost in her own thoughts that she didn't realize anyone coming up to her until a hand slapped itself on her shoulder.

"Lost in the clouds again…aren't you Winner?" a husky high alto voice spoke up beside her, the voice full of arrogance and bossiness.

Neo turned her head slightly to acknowledge a girl about her height. She had dark brown hair that ran down to the middle of her back, all wavy like the ocean. Right now, that hair was clipped back and accented her pale purple eyes. Anima Ryoiji was a year older than her, and a damn good driver for the Colony Circuit, but she was her rival…her Colony 01 rival. "Yeah, I'm lost…you look like that yourself too," Neo replied back, her voice neutral. She wasn't really in the mood to pick a catfight with the girl at this moment, though her conscience was telling her to do so.

"Sorry Neo, but I'm not lost. I'm standing right next to you, seeing what you can do in the face of being lost in your own thoughts. You know, it would have been funny if you'd walk straight into a pole or the garage doors in your muddling," Anima replied and Neo raised and eyebrow at her comments.

"You sound like Cavan…" Neo muttered under her breath. Cavan Merquise was a big pain in the ass in her opinion and always made snide remarks when someone wasn't paying attention. _But at least Cavan has the heart to stop…this girl's like a blabbermouth_; Neo thought shrugging Anima's hand off of her shoulder. She turned to face the Japanese girl who stood a few inches taller than she was. She had to tilt her chin up to look into the face of Anima. "Anima…shove it," Neo replied then walked away from the girl who's jaw was dropped straight on the ground.

She walked towards the locker room, her mind sharp and focused. She didn't want anyone to find her again on the racetrack with her mind millions of miles away. A sudden thought invaded her mind and she realized that there were three people she had to contact. Her father, who was on the Maganac Base in the Arabic Desert; her best friend Tani, and her boyfriend Adler, who was on the Space Force station-teaching potential Preventer-Space Force officers. Neo opened the door to the track's locker room and entered it quickly. Finding her locker she keyed in her code and began changing as fast as she could.

***

Anima glared at the retreating Neo Winner's form as she shoved her hands in the pockets of her driver's suit. The girl seemed distracted recently as if she remembered something important or some event had led her to ignore all of her rebukes. Usually Winner would get so worked up, so flared up that Anima would be laughing on the inside, but this time, she felt as if there was a suspicion that hadn't been there since…

Anima put that thought from her mind as she closed up her feelings from her past. But a few memories of her past leaked through and Anima winced at bit at the harshness of them. Her childhood through pre-teen years was the worst time of her life. There were so much torment, sadness, and betrayal by so many people. Her mother was the worst of it. She was a double agent for something she didn't even understand, and she was caught in the middle of it. Her mother didn't care about her; all she cared for was about her mission and what she had to do to complete it. It was like her childhood friend's father…she hated him too. But his son…that was a different story… He used to be so kind to her, almost like a brother of sorts and she had made a secret promise that she would marry him when she grew up. But that all changed when he betrayed her; he had sold her out when they were both in the military academy. He had her kicked out of the academy because of her grades-in cases; he had forged them himself. She hated him for that…but now…

"Miss Ryoiji," a deep voice startled her out of her musings and Anima glanced up to see her manager, Tero Cehill. "Anima, I need you to take the car out again, for one lap before you go in. There's something on the car I want to check before next Sunday's race."

"Yes sir," Anima replied then turned around and headed back to the direction where the car's garages were. She put Neo and her childhood friend on the back of her mind…they weren't that important at the moment, what was, was that her signal had been given and she had a mission to perform.

***

Neo waited patiently for her father to answer her vid-call as she pulled absently on a lock of her sun-blonde hair. Suddenly her father's image appeared on the screen and Neo gave him a sunny smile. "Hey dad, what's up?" Neo asked, tucking the lock of hair behind her ear.

"The usual…work and more work," Quatre replied tiredly and Neo nodded in sympathy.

"How's mom and the others?" Neo asked noticing the faint wrinkle lines that ran through her father's forehead, showing the stress of managing his company; he was also whiting a bit at the temples.

"They're fine…oh Neo, you want to take a trip to the Space Academy?" Quatre asked and Neo wrinkled her eyebrows in puzzlement.

"Huh?"

"There's supposed to be a meeting for the company and Space Force. They want to negotiate some contracts and shipments for the resources we're extracting from the Mars asteroids. I can't get there because of my job and so since you know the company really well…" Quatre let the words hang unspoken.

"Yeah, why not," Neo replied and smiled secretly to herself. _I can also see Adler then…_she thought slyly. Ever since the 2nd G-Team parted ways a few months back, they rarely got to see each other. Adler had only called when he got the chance, and that was rare…she didn't even have time to reply to him because of her racing career and running a bit of her father's company with her aunts in his occasional absence.

"Good, its settled then…there's a shuttle waiting for you at docking bay 32 with your stuff," Quatre replied and was about to terminate the link when Neo held up a hand.

"Wait, dad…did you plan for me to go even if I disagreed?" Neo asked, curious.

Quatre nodded and smiled, "I know that Adler's stationed at the Space Academy so you would have gone regardless of whatever I said for you to do at Space Academy…"

"Ah, that's the dad I know…always reading my mind-well, more like my emotions," Neo laughed a lightly then waved a bit before closing the link. She turned around and saw Kenan walking towards her. "Hey Kenan! Tell Mr. Whitfield that I'll be gone a day or two…something to do with my father's company!" Neo yelled to the young mechanic.

"Um…all right Neo! See you in a couple of days," Kenan replied and Neo jogged off to docking bay 32, which was close to the racetrack.

***

****

Location: Space Academy- LaGrange Point AA-41

Adler Barton glanced around at the raised classroom at his students who were all trying to pay attention to him. Well, mostly the girls were paying attention to him, the boys…they were trying to hide the fact that they couldn't wait until mobile suit instruction. "Only a few more minutes before lunch break guys…try to keep it together and I might let you out early," Adler said in the best patient voice he could muster up. Even he was getting tired; the day seemed unusually long.

"Now then, what significant event happened on April 7th, AC 175?" Adler asked, picking a random question from the test he had created for his students. He was teaching a history/mobile suit piloting class as a junior instructor at the Space Academy.

One young fourteen-year-old brown-haired boy raised his hand and Adler nodded, "Yamato? You know the answer?"

"April 7th, AC 175, Colony representative and leader Heero Yuy was assassinated by an unknown sniper. Afterwards, chaos ensued and the Colonies broke away from the Earth, severing ties," the young teen called Yamato replied then added, "Colony representative Heero Yuy has no relation or ties to Commander Yuy of Preventer."

Adler nodded, "Thank you Yamato. Now who-", he was cut off as the bell rang, signaling lunch break for all students. He sighed in relief as the students rushed out of his classroom and headed towards their dorm-rooms or the mess hall for lunch. He glanced down at the paperwork that the students had to write - a five to six page essay on the military history during the time of the pacifist leader Heero Yuy. He could feel a headache coming on as he counted the number of papers handed in to him…every single of his 48-student class.

"So then it would mean that you have 400 pages to read tonight and hand back tomorrow, Officer Barton, give or take a few pages," a gruff voice said from the door way of the now empty classroom and Adler glanced up to see his advisor Lieutenant Jun Arakawa smiling faintly.

"Yeah…mind taking over for the next few classes?" Adler asked mock seriously. He was only a junior teacher at the Space Academy, one of the youngest to apply for the position. Usually enlisted and ranked officers applied for the job, but he came in under the recommendation of his father.

"No, you're supposed to learn what's it like to have a migraine for the next night or so," Jun chuckled lightly as he came into the empty classroom.

"Thanks," Adler replied sarcastically then put the papers on his desk and stood up, stretching a bit. "Jun, got any reason why this day's so long?" he asked with a first name basis since he was good friends with the Lieutenant.

"Don't know," Jun shrugged, "but your father's here along with some important people to discuss some political things. He's currently having lunch with a few of them." He lowered his voice and said slyly, "I also heard that a representative from the Winner Corporation is here also."

"Neo?" Adler replied back and Jun gave a mysterious smile.

"Could be…why don't you check it out," Jun replied then left the room, laughing a bit.

Silence hung in the air as Adler contemplated what Jun had to say. Usually Neo would give him a message to say that she was coming, but she had arrived, unannounced. _Hnn, crazy girl trying to surprise me_, Adler thought while smiling a bit. He stretched again before leaving his classroom and headed towards the mess hall, not the student one, but the faculty/guest one. He was going to have a talk with Neo Winner about a certain something.

***

Though not her first time in the Space Academy, Neo was still breathless at the sight of the school. It never ceased to amaze her with all its angular, crystalline build. Metal alloys, cut to be like crystals adorned every corner of the Space Academy, their bluish tint changing the area into a mysterious pool of ocean space. The Space Academy also offered grand views of the earth and the near by Colony 01.

"Your first time on the Space Academy?" a quiet, thoughtful voice spoke to her right and Neo turned to face Captain Trowa Barton.

"No…but every time I come here, I'm totally breathless. It's more like a museum in space than an academy. I mean without all these cadets, "she indicated the various teens and teachers all dressed in the military white shirt and dark blue pants milling around, "I'd think it _is_ a museum."

Trowa laughed lightly, "You're right Neo. I guess I'm just used to it." The two of them walked away from the shuttle that had transported all the people for the summit meeting and headed towards the faculty/guest mess hall.

"I hope this summit meeting goes well. My father wants me to start learning his way of the trade, but…" Neo commented then sighed.

"You don't want to," Trowa finished for her and she nodded, looking around at the cadets and teachers who were milling around, trying to get to class or trying to get out of class.

"Yeah…I don't want to become heir to my father's corporation. I'll probably leave that to Dumas when he gets older," Neo replied as both stepped off an escalator that took them to a circular place with gold-plated guardrails that overlooked the student mess hall.

"Speaking of which, how's your family? I heard that Quatre just signed a big contract with Sweepers last week or so-to send them some of the mining surplus so they can start to rebuild some of the Colonies that were damaged by Locke," Trowa commented as both sat down at a table that was near the edge of the circle. "You want anything to eat?"

"No thanks…business first, then I can eat," Neo replied, grinning slightly, "so what's your purpose in this summit meeting?"

"Observe and watch the meeting. The bureaucrats you'll be talking with won't tell the head guys at Space Force everything, so that's where I come in. I'm supposed to memorize everything that happens at the meeting then give a full analysis of the people at the meeting, including you," Trowa explained and Neo wrinkled her eyebrows in puzzlement.

"But won't the bureaucrats suspect and choose their words carefully?" she asked tentatively.

"Of course…but being a soldier of the field, conformist, and Gundam pilot means a whole lot when the meeting starts," Trowa replied, smiling mysteriously.

Neo blinked a bit as the real meaning of the words hit her. _So that's why Space Force sent him along…his skills as a former Gundam pilot can help in looking at what those pig-headed bureaucrats are thinking. Good thinking…_she thought as she grinned at Trowa.

"Ah, so that's why dad has the face of the proverbial cat that ate the canary," a mellow pleasant voice interrupted their conversation and Neo turned to see Adler Barton standing in a dark blue uniform of Space Force. The outfit made him look sexy; but then again, the mysterious look Adler always had did the work for her beating heart. With his hair like his father, Neo could have sworn she was seeing twins…but due to the face that Adler's hair turned a slight shade of dirty blonde during the summer months (like now), Neo could tell the difference.

"Hey Adler, come to pick up Neo before her summit meeting?" Trowa asked, a glint that showed slight sadness in his eyes, but his face was all smiles.

"Oh, so that's why this crazy girl didn't call…yeah, if you don't mind," Adler shrugged, "when's her meeting anyway?"

"In around forty-five minutes, thank you for leaving me out of the conversation," Neo said with mock severity then got up and took Adler's hand and pulled him away from the table. Looking back, she smiled at Trowa, "Captain Barton, I'll met you at the front door to the meeting hall."

Pulling her boyfriend down the escalator and through crowds of slightly surprised students, Neo dragged him out the door to the cafeteria and into an empty hall. She released him and stood facing him, her face showing mock anger, "Now, tell me about why you're all of the sudden calling me 'crazy girl'?"

***

"Now, tell me about why you're all of the sudden calling me 'crazy girl'?"

Adler smiled at her remark; Neo didn't look angry, but he couldn't tell with her masking most of her emotions behind her well-honed in empathic powers. God, she looked beautiful, he thought as he looked her over. She had some light brown tanned skin, and her hair was a cream-yellow shade. _She must have done some serious racing since the last time I talked to her_, he thought as he looked over what she was wearing. Her business suit was cut to the latest professional edge, being a dress pants; tan for the most part, with a black diagonal cut that ran from her right left shoulder to her right hip.

"Well?" Neo asked, and Adler noted that her face showed a hint of pink as she realized he was looking at her.

Adler cleared his throat slightly then sighed as he looked down at her medium height form, "Well, Miss Crazy-Girl, its because you haven't called for the longest time and now you just show up."

"Its supposed to be a surprise…wait…how did you know?" Neo demanded looking at him with slightly narrowed eyes.

Adler bowed his head for a moment, a grin tugging on the corner of his lips. Neo was just so…so…he couldn't think of a word to describe the beautiful Arabian. "A friend," he replied mysteriously.

"Dammit! Stop sounding like your father!" she laughed a good sound to Adler's ears since he hadn't heard her or talked with her for over a month and half, "so that's why you picked me up."

He nodded slightly then something clicked in his mind. When his father had asked if he had come to pick her up, he noted the sad look his eyes showed; it opened up the wound in his heart even more. Neo knew about his mother…but he wondered if she saw the look in his father's eyes. "So, want me to take you on a tour of Space Academy? I've got about fifteen minutes before I have to teach my next class," he offered, spreading a hand out to the main hall.

"Sure…by the way, what's your next class?" Neo asked as they walked out of the empty sub-hall and into the main hall, her right hand holding onto his left.

"Mobile suit training," Adler replied, "wanna check out the greens?" He knew that she would like to watch anything with mobile suits and having her watch the new people, the greens, would be fun for him and torture for his students since she'll probably want to train them.

"Sure, lead the way…um…"

"Officer."

"Okay…lead the way, Officer Barton."

***

Neo couldn't keep her jaw from dropping to the floor in sheer awe as she looked at the zero-gravity simulator room where various students were sitting in chairs that were molded like the mobile suits' cockpits. The students were engaged in maneuvers, trying to sense each other as they sat blindfolded. She stifled a giggle as two crashed into each other, startling both pilots of the mock-suits.

"Wow…impressive simulation you've got," she commented softly as she pressed her hands on the glass, itching to get into one of those cockpits and fly circles around the students. She knew she was acting like a kid, but this was way wicked cool.

"If you want to try one, I guess I can let you in-"

"I'm leaving as soon as the negotiations are done…"

"But what if they take a few days?"

"Then go ahead, sign me up so I can kick their ass!" Neo grinned at Adler then glanced back to the various pilots who were maneuvering around.

Neo saw Adler shake his head and grin. "You're a bit hyper I see…"

"You should have seen her on our shuttle to here…" a deep voice interrupted the two of them and Neo turned around to see Adler's father standing there, a faint grin on his weathered face.

"Oh, hi dad," Adler greeted and Neo could sense that Adler was a bit angry at his father for interrupting his private time with his girlfriend.

"Meeting, I suppose?" Neo interjected before Adler could say anything else. She didn't want to see the two of them with a rift right now since she knew that Adler's mother had abandoned him since he was young. Adler needed his father's support at his critical age.

Trowa nodded slightly then glanced behind him. Neo and Adler followed suit to see an officer running up to them, his face red with exhaustion. "Captain Barton!" the man gasped in between breaths as he threw a hasty salute, coming up next to Trowa.

Neo probed the mind of the man and felt a jolt of fear leaking through his senses. She could feel that it was bad news the man had come to report, but she couldn't pinpoint it for some odd reason.

"What is it Lieutenant Peirno?" Trowa asked, returning the salute, his face etched into a frown.

"Sir…" the man wheezed out, "we have to get Miss Winner out of here! There is an armed mob within the civilian population of Space Academy, mixed with some of the cadets waiting out near your shuttle. They claim that the Winner Corporation has caused all the problems of the Colonies and Earth!"

"Whoa, whoa! Wait!" Neo narrowed her eyes angrily as she stepped in front of Trowa and glared at the Lieutenant, "what the hell are you talking about?"

"Miss Winner!" the Lieutenant huffed, "haven't you heard?"

Neo shook her head, puzzled. Something wasn't right, but she couldn't pinpoint it.

"Sweepers base has just been bombed and the blame has fallen upon Winner Corporation and the Preventers," the Lieutenant replied gravely.

Neo felt her jaw drop open a few centimeters in surprise. Never had she expected something like this to occur.

***

Adler blinked a few times at the news. He could see that the devastating news hit Neo hard…but why didn't it all add up? He frowned as his mind sorted out the news. Then Neo's next statement was what brought the house down.

"You're lying," she hissed, her eyes narrowed dangerously as she glared at the Lieutenant.

Adler felt his feet moving a bit back and saw that his father had done the same. His battle senses were up and alert for any possible attack from the Lieutenant…but still something didn't add up. "You sure Neo? I mean…we can check the news from my link," he said.

"No need Adler. He's telling the truth all right with Sweepers being bombed and the blame set squarely on my father's corporation and Preventers; but he's lying about getting us out," Neo replied and Adler looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Miss Winner-"

"Cut that 'Miss Winner' crap, you piece of shit! You're part of a conspiracy to overthrow the Unified Earth and Colonies, aren't you?" Neo glared at the Lieutenant, who had an interesting look on his face.

Adler had never seen that type of look on any person's face when facing Neo Winner. The Lieutenant was actually smiling. He put a hand to his side to reach for his gun when the Lieutenant whipped out a pistol and pointed it at him. Adler froze, his eyes narrowed as he watched the barrel move just so slightly in the man's grip.

"I wouldn't if I were you, Barton," the Lieutenant spat.

"Hidden agent," the words were barely audible that Adler could barely hear them from his father. He glanced at him and saw that he had a sad look on his face.

"What?!" the man pointed the gun at his father.

"You're one of Locke's remnant programs, aren't you. But you're working for someone else now. Working undercover, but not really knowing that you're betraying your own friends," Trowa said in a sad, thoughtful voice.

Adler saw that the grip the Lieutenant had on his gun was shaking uncontrollably and he realized that Locke might have programmed some to take up her mission after she was dead. This was probably one of them.

"No…no…NO! I'll kill you all!" the man that was once Lieutenant Peirno screamed.

"Watch out!" Adler yelled as he saw the trigger being squeezed.

Suddenly the Lieutenant dropped like a bag of stones, Neo behind him, her face grim as her hand was in a knife position. Her eyes glowed slightly as she stood from her guard position then ran a hand over her face. "Had to do it while he was focused on you two…sorry."

"No worries," Trowa replied, "you okay?"

"Yeah…" Neo replied and Adler could tell that she wasn't telling the whole truth. Was there something else to her empathic powers that she never told him? Did something happen over the months while he didn't see her? He shook his head slightly as he walked towards Neo, but stopped at her head shaking a no.

"Don't come near…I only knocked him out with a light pressure point, but if anyone trips over him or moves him, he will wake up. I'm just buying time for us to get out of here," Neo said and Adler nodded, stepping back.

"Shuttles?" Trowa suggested.

"No…there is a mob of people waiting over there. Adler, do you have anything at all to transport us out of here?" Neo asked, and Adler nodded.

"Yeah, come on," he gestured to the two of them to follow him. He had a private one-man shuttle that he built during his spare time at the academy. It was perfect for disguise to get to Earth or wherever Neo had to go to get out of Space Academy with her life intact.

***

Adler ran toward where the auxiliary hanger bays where. Not too many people knew about this place. When he was still a student at the Space Academy he had stumbled upon the place and found it fascinating with its various large windows, good for looking at stars, Colonies, and Earth rotating around. It was his favorite place in the Academy. It was a place where he could think alone without anyone to interrupt him. Once he had skipped a day worth of classes and spent his entire time here. The administrators had asked where he had been and he lied saying that he was accidentally stuck outside on working on the repairing class section of the Academy and his tether broke.

Exiting the dark hallway that brought him to the aux-hanger bay, he glanced around, his senses alerted for any attack.

"Never thought you'd help an enemy, Adler Barton," a voice brought his head to the right as he froze in the middle of the huge hanger bay.

Over the dim light of the stars and sun twinkling he saw his old friend Lieutenant Jun Arakawa. "Jun…" Adler breathed watching as whom he thought was his most trusted friend in Space Academy walk slowly towards him, a gun drawn and pointed to his chest. Without thinking, Adler drew his gun with a blur and pointed it unwavering at Jun. "Stop, or I'll kill you."

Jun stopped where he was and stared at Adler. He met his old friend's gaze without flinching. He knew that he would not hesitate to kill Jun even if it meant a death of a friend. That was a soldier's life, which was the way they taught at Space Academy. Adler suspected that Val Yuy's code was also the same since he joined the Alexandria Ground Corps.

He shook his head mentally. Why did his thoughts suddenly wander to Val? _Must be the same thing happening to him, I guess_, Adler thought as he kept watching Jun.

"The shuttle is behind me Neo Winner, all prepped and ready for your departure. Captain Barton, Adler and I will stay behind to ensure your safe retreat. We don't want you, one of the deadliest Gundam pilots to die in such a futile way," Jun suddenly spoke up, his voice gruff with emotion.

"What?!" Neo asked and Adler knew that his thoughts mirrored the same as his girlfriend's.

"I knew you would do that, Jun," Adler turned his head while lowering his gun as his father spoke, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Same here Trowa. We weren't war buddies for nothing when you were with us back before you turned as Colony 03's Gundam pilot," Jun replied then lowered his gun and gestured to the three of them. "Come on! We need cover. Neo Winner, Godspeed to you and bring back Sandstorm to kick some ass! Now go!" Jun shouted just as various soldiers and cadets burst through where Adler, Neo, and Trowa came through a few minutes ago.

Adler could see that Neo was hesitant to leave them and he walked over to her and grabbed her shoulders. "Neo," he stated, looking deep into her ocean blue eyes. Those eyes of the girl he had fallen in love with since the ballroom incident before Locke Dabnerba declared herself alive.

"Ad-" Neo started before Adler reached down and kissed her with all the passion he had kept pent up inside of him for all these months. He could feel her presence inside of his mind…then broke off the mental and physical contact as he looked at her for a long time.

"Now…go…" he gently pushed her backward into the direction of her one-man shuttle. He watched as she nodded numbly then ran towards the shuttle and moments later, the whine of rocket engines firing filled the hanger then he saw her shoot out of there. She was free.

Adler turned back and set his jaw. Whoever was pulling the strings right now, was going to get it, but first, he needed to stop some of the cadets before making his escape. There was no turning back now, he knew that he was a liable target. _We need to get into hiding…_he thought as he drew out his gun and started to fire wounding shots at the various cadets, his mind fully knowing that it was some of his favorite students he was shooting at.

***

Neo grimly set her jaw as she flew away from the civil warring Space Colony. She knew that Adler and Trowa would survive; Gundam pilots had a high rate of surviving the impossible. But she was worried about Captain Barton's friend. Somehow, she knew that this time, whoever was responsible for the mess, would not let so many people off the hook of escaping death so easily.

"I will return…Sandstorm will be the one that destroys this new evil," Neo whispered as she shot off to the secret Maganac base in the Sahara Desert.

***

****

Author's Notes:

Well, finally I finished that chapter! It took me a while to complete it, but I finished it. Next chapter, Sephy will be writing, so check ya soon! Hope you enjoyed Retaliation so far!


	3. Sorrowful Partings

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Retaliation

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Retaliation

By: Shadow Chaser and Sephy

_Chapter 3 - Sorrowful Partings_

Paris, France 

The flames were intense as wave after wave of blue-tinged white licked outward, streaking the blackness as Sweeper Headquarters was consumed.The fire burned fast and furious, threatening to jump from the confines of the base into the outer city, a threat made all too real by the nightmarish proximity of natural parkland not more than five feet from the wire walls surrounding the compound.The unnatural heat and the way the fire refused to be calmed despite the best efforts of the fire department and the storm that had crept upon them silent and even now bore down on them told him more than he needed to know.Chemical fire, Val thought.The explosive used to destroy Sweeper headquarters most likely had carried some chemical component to ensure that anything not destroyed by the blast was caught in the ensuing inferno._Efficient_, he was forced to admit.It was something he might have thought of which lead him to the conclusion that this was no simple case of arson.No amateur set this up… The knowledge of chemicals and explosives necessary for a job like this, combined with the planning and know how needed bespoke a tactical mind to be reckoned with.No, someone had planned this, probably months in advance.

Evidently, he wasn't the only one to reach that conclusion.Duo Maxwell prowled the edge of the crowd, his movements tight and compact as if he were readying himself to spring forward which, given the nearness of the fire, wouldn't be the brightest idea.Anyone who thought the American the lesser of the Gundam pilots, the least dangerous, had never met Shinigami in his full fury.Val himself often forgot that, taken in by Maxwell's mask, the good humor and grace he carried himself with most of the time.His father had always been more intimidating, more up front with his prowess and ruthlessness.Now… now Val found himself reassessing the self-proclaimed God of Death, tensing at the dark glint in those violet-blue eyes.His lean face was blank, curiously so for a man whose life had just gone up in a fiery blaze but there was something about the set of his body, something that screamed and promised murder without words.He didn't waste time with the words that came so naturally to him.Instead, he stalked, his eyes raked over the crowd cold and dissecting, searching before returning to the burning base.He watched as Hilde attempted to touch her his shoulder, only to be stopped by a look, but it was enough to make her back up, her hand clutched to her chest.His father caught her shoulder, catching her eye and shaking his head before edging past her to stand beside Duo.Heero Yuy didn't attempt to reach out to his friend.Instead, he stood beside him, both men straight and tall, warriors still, fighting still after all these years and searching for an opponent, only to find one they could not fight.One they could not vanquish with weapons or Gundams.The image of them standing there, staring into the flickering red-white flames seemed to burn onto his retina, the afterimage flickering there even as he turned away.

Reyna, unlike her father, was anything but silent.Right now, she was at the edge of the crowd, hissing and spitting profanities like a scalded cat.She sounded pissed, highly dangerous, but he noted the way she kept her face from turning around.Anyone else might have missed the sheen of tears bathing her face as she continued throwing out curse after curse.Anyone else but not him, not one who knew her so well.There was nothing he could do to help Duo Maxwell and indeed, he would have felt awkward making the attempt.Reyna… Reyna however was another matter.

He slipped around Hilde, giving her a tentative smile and felt relieved when she nodded towards Reyna in understanding.He turned towards her then paused, pivoting around towards Hilde again.He assessed her, once again realizing that Reyna's strength wasn't solely Duo's contribution.Even now she was standing tall, silent and bearing up under another loss though her eyes were wet and her face was drawn.Val was used to strong women, he'd been around them all his life but this… No one should have to be strong all the time, he thought and for one of the few times in his life gave into impulse, reaching down and sweeping Reyna's mother into a hug.He felt her stiffen with the initial surprise of the moment, then soften, her hands rising to pat his back and he wondered who was comforting who here.Then she pulled back, touching his cheek and shoulder with that strong gentle touch.

"Reyna needs you," she jogged her head again in the direction of her daughter."I'll be all right."

"Are you sure?"

"You heard the lady, kid."A familiar smoke clogged voice rasped.He glanced over to see Duo standing just behind him, still wearing that lethal expression but somehow it was altered.There was some hint of relief there.Perhaps in relief that they had not been home when the base had blown?Val could only hazard a guess."Give us some room, okay?"

Val stepped back, making eye contact with his father before turning his back on the three adults and heading towards Reyna.She saw him coming, glancing out of the corner of her eye before jerking her face away, one hand rising to scrub at her cheeks.

"Hey."He stopped just short of her, unsure of what to do or what to say?How could you make something like this better?Words just weren't going to cut it.

Fortunately for both of them, Reyna knew exactly what she needed as she wheeled, eyes blind with tears, and threw herself at him.He caught her, feeling her pain as if it were his own as she burrowed her head into his chest.Her hands were curled in fists, fingernails digging into the vulnerable flesh there.Taking her by one hand then the other, he uncurled her fingers letting his thumb graze the injured half-moons she had dug into her own flesh.

"Why?"She asked her voice no longer angry but bewildered."God, Val, why?Why now?Why this?What did we do?"

Such childish questions, questions that demanded answers that had no simplicity to them, and yet he felt her anguish in each one and it cut him to the core.Standing there in the rain, feeling the both of them being slowly drenched yet faced with the nightmarish flames before them, flames that not even the precipitation could douse, Val felt helpless.Completely and utterly so.It wasn't feeling he liked.He had been trained to fight, to handle any situation that came to him.But how could he stand here and tell Reyna that it was going to be all right when he didn't know that?He couldn't lie to her.He didn't have any answers._At least not yet, he thought grimly._

The screech of sirens in the distance told him that the fire department was on the way but what, if anything, they could do, he was uncertain.Chemical blazes like this tended to burn out rather than being put out.

"… Everything we had was in there," Reyna said, her voice muffled against the layers of his service coat."All our pictures, all our things…"

He heard what she left unsaid.All of Tarrant's things, all those pictures of family outings and times together that could never be replaced, times of a family that would never be whole again--all of it was lost in those blue-tinged flames, almost the same blue of Reyna's shattered eyes and burning with equal intensity. In away, the person had done more than just destroyed Reyna's home, he'd killed her brother again.Val shut his eyes at the image of the Maxwell's family portrait curling and burning, Tarrant's face turning to cinders.

He was unsure of how long they stood there, clutching each other, Reyna's soft sobs desperate as they fell upon his ear and the rain pelting down on them. Part of him felt frozen, helpless to do anything but stand thus while the rest of him wanted to hunt down and kill whoever had caused Reyna so much anguish.

There was no time to dwell, not when the scene began to pick up more life than ever as the various assorted government agencies showed up, beginning with the fire department and moving on from there.The fire fighters made a show of unfurling their hose but Val noticed how they hovered at the edge of the flames, faces resigned.There was nothing they could do and they knew it.They would try, they would try for hours most likely but the truth of the matter was if the rain hadn't put a dint in those flames, then pointing a rubber hose and spewing out more water wasn't like to much better.The police were already talking to his father who was a good deal calmer than Duo was at the moment.Duo had moved over to the fire fighters and was gesturing wildly at the flames as if he expected them to perform some sort of miracle.Shinigami's face was darkening as he talked to the head fighter, a sure sign that he did not like what he was hearing.The other fire fighters seemed a trifle nervous, either by being in the presence of _the_ Duo Maxwell or by the fact he looked ready to rip the hose from their hands and go to work himself.The crowd getting restless had started to form a semi-circle watching Duo and the firemen with some interest._One show not even over yet, Val thought bitterly, __and still they want more._

The surrealness of the scene was completed by the appearance a small convoy of black military jeeps and trucks.Val tensed, sensing without words that something was very, very wrong as he watched the soldiers hop down off the truck.For one, they weren't in traditional military garb; instead they were dressed from head to toe in black.Black sweaters, combat pants, and glossy black boots_.All decked out to intimidate and no where to go… Val didn't finish the thought, his arms tightening around Reyna.She seemed to pick up on his discomfort, her tear streaked face lifting first towards him then to where he was gazing.Her hold slackened as she turned and he kept a grip on her forearm.The last thing he needed was Reyna Maxwell rushing headlong into something that would get them both killed._

His unease intensified as the soldiers fanned out around the area, forming a tight circle and shoving the crowd away.The police were protested but there was only so much you could do when someone shoved an assault rifle in your face.

Another jeep drove up, screeching to a halt not more than a few feet from them, a man in a suit hopping out of the side, his expensive gray suit Italian and immaculate despite the rain plinking off the umbrella he held.The man's dark blond hair was slick with gel, designer wire frames hiding those cold green eyes.He wore a smile but it was all teeth, the smile of a shark that had sighted prey.Val felt himself thrusting Reyna behind him, ignoring her indignant yelp.

"Severn Cawley…" Val growled then shot out and arm to prevent Reyna from stepping in front of him, "Reyna, stay back."

"Val, if you don't let me go--" She hissed but he squeezed her arm, hard enough to give her pause.

"Well, well, if it isn't my old friend Vailo Yuy.I've got to tell you, Val, those entire months and not one letter… Well, I was hurt, quite frankly.And Reyna, too.Now, this is quite a reunion, isn't it?" Severn tilted his head.

Reyna finally succeed in yanking her hand from his death grip, glaring at him as she rubbed her injured wrist.He kept one eye on her and the other on Severn, not understanding what was going on here but knowing that he'd only have a fraction of a second if Reyna charged Severn.She held her ground though, standing next to him, her jaw working and unworking but remaining silent.

"I'm impressed, Yuy.You've actually managed to tame her a bit.The last time I saw her she was spitting and snarling like a wild animal.You know, not big on conversation but great in the sack?"Severn winked as if they were sharing some sort of joke between them.

"That's it," Reyna muttered, hands curving into dangerous hooks.Val stepped in front of her, his blue eyes narrowing with the promise of death.

"All right, Severn.Last time I checked there were warrants out for your arrest.So why the hell are you here?"

"Times have changed, Yuy.You really should try to keep up," Severn circuit around, taking in the flames with a surprised grin."Oh, my how pretty.Any one have any marshmallows?"

"Severn…"

"Oh, very well.That's always been your problem, Yuy.No sense of humor," Severn sniffed. There was a blur of motion and the sound of a gunshot.Heero was already dropping his half-drawn gun, hand stained crimson from Severn's shot."No, no.I wouldn't Commander Yuy."Severn glanced at Val had his hand on the butt of his pistol."You either, Val.Not unless you want me to put another breathing hole in 'Daddy dearest' here."

Val hesitated, eyes locked with his father's, weighing just how much of a chance he'd have to take Severn out before he could shoot Heero.The decision was taken from him by an audible click as one of the men in black cocked and rested the nozzle of his gun against Reyna's temple.He heard Hilde's sharp rush of breath and felt his own heart still.At this range, there was no way they'd miss.He let the gun drop from limp fingers, Reyna's eyes begging his forgiveness even as he did so.

"You want to know why I'm here?Fine.I've a warrant to arrest all of you."

"You're lying," Reyna spat.

"I assure you, Reyna dear, I never lie when the odds are in my favor. These warrants come directly from the Senate.All of you are charged with sedition and treason, planning to overthrow the current government with your Gundams."

"This is such bullshit," Duo spat at him."There's no truth to any of those charges.For all we know, you forged those papers!"

"Maybe, Maxwell, maybe but do all these guns appear forged?Go ahead and test them if you think so," Severn smirked."The fact of the matter is, gentlemen and ladies, times _are_ changing and you no longer have a place with the regime.I am here to bring you in.We can do this peacefully or…resist all you like, it will save the Senate the trouble of executing you."

Val backed up a bit as four more soldiers approached, and realized he couldn't go very far, not holding onto Reyna's clammy hand and not with that soldier holding his gun against her head.If he wanted to move, he'd have to let her go.He wasn't sure he could make himself go that far.Moreover, that would be more than a signal to Severn of his intent and the man would waste no time in shooting him or Reyna or both of them. 

How had it come to this?Why was this happening?The Senate had declared them traitors?Surely not…not with his mother and President Kushrenada there.What the hell was going on in Geneva?All very important questions and maybe later when he had time he'd dwell on it some but not now.Not with Reyna's life, not with all their lives hanging in the balance.He glanced out of the corner of his eyes, noting how Duo and Heero were standing next to each other, Hilde behind them, protecting her to the end.He met Duo's gaze and nodded, drawing closer to Reyna, determined to stand with her until the end, whatever that end might be.The man holding the gun against her temple stared at him, his eyes cool and calculating._If we get out of this_, Val thought, _he's the first one I'm going to kill and then Severn.And it's going to be a long and painful death_, he nearly growled.

The glint of handcuffs caught his eye and he felt his stomach tighten in dread at the solid sight of them, making this nightmare more real than he wanted it to be.They were really going to arrest them.This wasn't some sick practical joke.This was happening and he was damned if he could see a way of them all getting out of this alive.

"Vailo Yuy," the soldier holding the gun on Reyna intoned, his eyes now fixed on the men approaching them."Get ready."

Startled, Val felt Reyna's grip on his hand tightening, her eyes closing as if her fate had been sealed.No, he wouldn't let this happen.He had lost his brother and his teammate but he was not going to lose Reyna.He tensed to rush the man when the soldier swung wide, the gun now off Reyna and cutting through the approaching men in a noisy barrage of sparks and bullets.He heard Severn shout accompanied by the sound of several bodies hitting the concrete.

"Go," shouted the soldier."Get the hell out of here.Now."

Val nodded, but Reyna lingered."What about you?"

"I'll follow… Just go.I can't hold them off forever."

No more words were needed as Val shot forward, Reyna only a second behind him, her hand nearly cutting off his circulation. His legs tingled and ached from the sudden jolts of adrenaline pumping through his system, forcing his legs to run faster and harder than they'd ever had to before.He'd been shot once and it wasn't an experience he cared to repeat. They had to get across this courtyard and into the safety of the intricate Parisian alleyways.That was the only hope they had of making it though this alive.If they could lure the snipers in, they'd have a chance of seeing them and losing them.God, this would be so simple if he still had his gun but there was no help for that now.Reyna's boots echoed loudly behind him, nearly as loud as the firefight going on behind them. The sound was comforting; if she could still run, then she was uninjured.If she could still run, they could escape. 

He glanced back, his father and the Maxwells lost in the crush of soldiers surrounding them.Severn and his goons were firing outward and not in so hopefully they were all right.If Severn didn't decide to take out his anger on them, that was it.The only hope they had was to submit, submit long enough for Severn to take them in.Submit until this could be taken before the Senate and cleared up. He hated this; he wanted nothing more than to turn back and fight his way back to his father's side.But if they were to stay alive, if he was going to do anything at all to save his father then he had to run and hide.It galled and it grated and there was nothing he could do.A dead soldier was of no use.He could only help his father and the Maxwells by surviving, by getting help.

The dark coolness of the alleys loomed just ahead and he pushed forward, nearly yanking Reyna ahead of him in the rush to reach safety.Behind him the sounds of guns firing died away in an ominous silence that chilled him.With the sounds of gunfire, there had been hope and with the loss of them, he understood now that the hunt was on and they were the prey.

***

**_The Senate_**

Geneva, Switzerland 

**_Earth_**

The world had gone crazy, Relena Peacecraft-Yuy decided, twisting and re-twisting the worn band of her wedding ring.She shifted in her seat, the stone bench uncomfortable despite the heavy cushions placed there for comfort.It was cold too, but that might have had less to do with the high arching ceilings and antiquated heating system and more to do with the tableau being played out before her.A play in which she found herself a helpless participant, watching everything she had ever dreamed and worked for crumbling before her eyes.

Lifting her eyes, she gazed up towards one of the flower-shaped stain glass windows, their magnificent shades dulled with darkness.She checked her watch.Dawn wouldn't be for several more hours but the way things were deadlocked at the moment, she might just be here to witness the flow of colors from the rising sun.Her eyes drifted to the fresco paneling circling the length of the room, eyes caressing and tracing the worn, kind features of the Madonna cradling her child.She felt tears prick her eyes as she studied the painting and its line of saints and martyrs, each with a resign beatific expression on their face.We have suffered, their faces seemed to say, and we will always suffer, so long as man remains, so long as there is war and hatred.Their suffering was mankind's suffering, a plight eternal that she had spent most of her adult life battling.Never once, not during the long dark hours of the war with Romefeller, not during the battle with Locke, had she ever faltered or felt her faith might have been misplaced.It was a faith purchased in blood and at the cost of so many lives, her faith that humanity could be better, that war could be left behind and that humankind could live together without one more life being lost needlessly.And maybe one day that dream would be a reality but she was beginning to doubt that she would ever see it.

_Not like this place_, she thought almost fondly.Built during the Renaissance, the building had survived countless wars and had served at one time or another as the administrative center for the city, then for the country. The place had been burned by the French, shelled by the Germans, and used as headquarters by Romefeller during the war.And now it the seat of the world democracy, the home of the Unified Earth and the seat of the Senate.While the military was situated just outside of Paris, Geneva had been picked because of its long history of neutrality and peace.In particular, this place, the seat of royalty and the first world government, had seemed a perfect location, an auspicious omen for the new era.With its sloping stonewalls and high ceilings had always impressed up on her a sense of permanence, a legacy that had been handed down to her, a wish and a promise that she had strove to keep. And now accusations, loud and bitter, echoed across the ancient walls of this Senate house, shattering that promise of peace. 

"Order!You will come to order!"Mariemaia Khushrenada, President of the Unified Earth and Colonies, barked, banging her gavel on the podium.Mariemaia had changed so much from the little girl who had served Dekim Barton as little more than a puppet.She had grown, her natural confidence softened into a strength that reminded Relena more and more of Treize every time she saw the girl.And it was Treize's strength and will that was carrying her now, her beautiful face tired and drawn, red-haired rumbled as if she had been suddenly pulled from bed.Which, Relena reflected was the truth.She had been pulled from her bed; they all had, by the news that had sent shock waves rippling through the Congress and indeed, the Earth itself.The news that without cause or provocation, Sweeper headquarters had been destroyed by a terrorist act mere hours before.

Theories were varied but there seemed to be a coterie intent on placing the blame solely on Winner Corporation.Relena was hardly surprised to find Senator Daemon Hallsfield at the center of it.Hallsfield, the representative from L1, was a consummate businessman and it was well known that he resented the Winner family's monopoly on space mining and the distribution of the valuable minerals needed for space flight.Without those minerals, inner space travel would have been limited to those wealthy enough to afford it.It was only due to the philanthropy of the Winner family and their intent on sharing their wealth with the rest of the quadrant that those minerals were mined and priced fairly at all.Certainly had Hallsfield and his cronies had their say, those prices would have been stiffer, tariffs imposed on certain items to benefit their ambitions, ambitions thwarted by Quatre Winner's stubborn refusal to sell any part of his family's business to outsiders.Hallsfield had tried every trick he knew to insinuate himself into Winner Corp and had been met with sharp resistance at every step of the way.As a result, he hated Quatre and all the Winners and wasted little time trying to find new ways to put the Corporation under stress.And the explosion of Sweeper Headquarters had provided him with new ammo to fire at his old foe.

Apparently, according to invoices produced by the good senator and his office, yesterday morning, hours before the explosion had taken place, the Sweepers had been forced to take in a convoy carrying cargo for Winner Corporation.There had been some sort of breakdown in the trunks, the details of which were sketchy at best and the Sweepers had hauled in a valuable shipment of iridium alloy for safe keeping while the trucks in question were being repaired.The point was the trucks had stopped and the base had exploded.The facts clearly pointed to sabotage by Winner Corporation or so Hallsfield wanted them all to believe.What he failed to demonstrate in her eyes was motive.There was no reason whatsoever for Winner Corp. already under investigation by the Senate finance committee to commit such an act. 

"Senator Hallsfield," President Kushrenada snapped."These accusations of yours are groundless.I cannot allow you to slander Winner Corp. without--"

"Groundless?And how much more evidence will you need to satisfy you, Madam President.Will we all have to be in chains, puppets for an invading army funded by the Winner family?" Hallsfield's field voice rose and fell dramatically, pulling them all in and weaving a paranoid spell that threatened to sweep the entire Senate away in its wake.

"Senator Hallsfield," Relena rose, placing her hands on her desk."All you have given us is idle speculation and circumstantial evidence.You cannot expect this prestigious body to accept anything less than cold hard evidence."

Hallsfield smiled at her, a chill smile that did not extend to his eyes.He was a good-looking man, rugged and boyish even in his early fifties. Conservative and sharp, he was to the core ambitious and that troubled her, knowing that he would do anything, say anything to gain and keep power.His rise through the Senate had been nothing less than meteoric and there had been talk of his running against Mariemaia in the next election.And with his dangerous ability to appeal to the masses with smooth speeches and soft words, it was not unlikely that he might win.God help the Earth and Colonies if that ever happens, she thought.

"Then please explain to me why did Winner Corporation send an envoy to the Space Academy to negotiate with them?" Hallsfield crossed his arms, face smug and eyes daring her to challenge him.

The Senate fell quiet, loud voices replaced by rapid whispers.Relena felt a chill snake down her spine and her eyes sought out those of Ione Winner, was one of the guest representatives from L4.The blond woman's face was blank; eyes devoid of anything she could read.It couldn't be true… Surely, Ione would have said something to her, would have warned her… No, there had been no time. No time for her to take Relena aside and explain things.There was a reasonable explanation, there had to be.

"It's a conspiracy I tell you all!Winner, Preventer, even the Space Academy are all into taking over the world!" Shouted Iyllich Davidovich, head of the Russian Consortium and one of Hallsfield's chief allies.Between the two of them, they could stir up more trouble than Relena could handle.

"Senator Davidovich, the Chair does not recognize you right now.Please refrain from speaking at the moment," Mariemaia said evenly, but Relena could see that she was a bit distressed and angry.

"It's true!Maybe the Colonies are plotting another takeover!" another senator shouted out.

"I concur!"

"Yes.We must stop this!"

"-must stop this!"

Relena closed her eyes against the onslaught of accusations cascading around her. _No, they are wrong…they… She couldn't let this go on.In the wake of Locke Dabnerba's defeat, they were all falling apart. Out of the ashes a new paranoia, a new Romefeller was rising before her eyes and if she let them, these stupid rash men would lead them all into destruction, into that endless waltz Mariemaia had spoken of so long ago. She couldn't let the three-beat of rebellion, war, and peace happen again. _

"Stop it.All of you," Relena slammed her hand against the surface of her desk, her voice freezing cold and hard.

Opening her eyes, she looked at all of the senators that were around her, the racket dying away as they paid attention to her.Relena forced her breath to come in evenly."Just look at all of you. Look at us. Look _how low we've fallen.We've been reduced to squabbling among ourselves.When we should be drawing together, we're pulling apart throwing blame onto those people we've wanted to hurt.Without proof, without evidence and for what?Ambition? Wounded ego?Or is it sheer paranoia?"_

"Where is the peaceful intent, where is the _justice that this body has always thrived on?Where is the compromise and impartiality? You blame Winner Corporation for bombing Sweepers but I know this as to be false," she took a deep breath and steeled herself, "Winner Corporation has been funding all the necessary supplies to keep our Colonies running, to help everyone live a better life.Can't you see that?They don't want to harm people, they want to help them and this is how you pay them back?!Sweepers Group has been scavenging materials for the Colonies, trying also to repair the damage done by Locke's forces.Essentially, both of them are working together for a common goal.Can't you see that?Are you __so blind to your ambitions to not see the peace that they're trying to create?"_

"That peace, that you are talking about, Vice Foreign Minister…that peace is an illusion!" Hallsfield suddenly interrupted Relena, standing from his side of the senate room, his face a mask of righteous anger.

"All your talk about peace is nothing!Just look at you!You're married to a Gundam pilot!_You talk of peace while your __husband destroys it, with Preventer as his ally!And look at Winner Corporation and Sweepers Group!Both their leaders are Gundam pilots!Both have a history of bloodshed and war!In war, nothing can overcome the human nature to eradicate what is evil!They've deemed this peace evil!And now they want to take it over!" Hallsfield shouted, and Relena flinched with each of his word._

"Its true," Relena started, trying to hold up her composure, but she could see that Hallsfield was winning, not by a long stretch, but winning with his words.It was true…Heero worked for the military, always the soldier that he was.He was always achieving peace through force rather negotiation, and Preventer had a few scuffles of its own. It was one of the sticking points in their relationship, it always had been.It had cost her the life of one son and very nearly the life of another.But whatever quarrel lay between them didn't mean Hallsfield could place all the blame squarely on her."Its true that my husband is a Gundam pilot, but you don't need to involve my family in this matter."

"Oh but it does matter, Relena Peacecraft-Yuy, it does.Your brother, Zechs Merquise…he worked for White Fang, didn't he?He turned traitor and supported the rebel factions of the Colonies, revolting against Earth.The Gundam pilots…Heero Yuy and Quatre Winner were both the leaders of the Gundam pilots, instrumental in their Operation Meteor-"

"That's enough Senator!"Ione Winner stood, tears brimming on her eyes, but not falling. "Operation Meteor was not executed by the Gundam pilots.Only Dekim Barton conceived of the plan, but they did not follow it.The Gundam pilots only wanted to defeat OZ who was oppressing the weak and innocent-"

"How would you know, a Maganac soldier like yourself!Your devotion to your husband makes you blind!Your words can't be trusted.Just look at the past history.Even our beloved President is touched by this taint," Hallsfield accused pointing a finger at Mariemaia, "Just decades ago, she was hell bent on conquering the world-"

"She was manipulated… " Relena interrupted.

Hallsfield waved that comment off, "and two of her soldiers were Trowa Barton and Wufei Chaing…Preventer and Space Force officers, both top ranked and both Gundam pilots!I tell you, the President and all associated with her are trying for another coup to overthrow us!"

"I move for a vote of no-confidence in Mariemaia Kushrenada's leadership.And I would advise to place all those parties involved under immediate arrest until this situation can be dealt with."

The deafening sound of agreement resounded in Relena's ears, the sound of the peace that she had fought so long and hard to create shattering.She stumbled, scarce unable to believe her ears at the next words, directed so carefully and pointedly towards her."If the Senate will indulge me, I've already taken steps to have Duo Maxwell and his family as well as the rest of the Peacecraft-Yuy household into custody."

"You have overstepped your bounds," Mariemaia shouted.

"No, _Miss_ Kushrenada, _you_ have overstepped yours," Davidovich snarled. "You will step down from the Chair or you will be removed and found in contempt of this body."

Mariemaia opened her mouth as if to object, then closed it, stepping down off the dais, her head held high as she marched towards Relena's section.Her blue eyes were angry and sorrowful but all Relena could think about was her husband and son, in custody, most likely arrested.They were all caught now, flies in an intricate web, helpless to move and at the mercy of one who would show no mercy._Oh God_, Relena found herself falling back into her seat._What's happened to us?What are we to do now?_

***

_Daemon, you bastard_, she thought, peeking around the heavy velvet draperies of the alcove at the proceedings below.From this vantage, the Senators seemed nothing more than faceless shapes, almost ants in a bed that had been kicked up, seething with activity and newfound energy as they turned upon themselves.

Her eyes drifted and alighted upon the hunched, slight figure of Relena Peacecraft-Yuy, slumped over her desk, Mariemaia Kushrenada at her side, very near supporting the limp woman.Relena's face was fixed on the podium, at the spot where Daemon and his cronies were now holding court, but she very much doubted that Relena was seeing much of anything with that blank stare of hers.Shock, she surmised lowering her head in remorse and shame._Oh, Relena, I would have spared you this if I'd known sooner, if I had moved faster.It is my hesitation that's brought this about. My hesitation and my husband's lust for power._

"Madam Hallsfield?"The voice was tentative, deferential as most of the voices in her world had become since her marriage.She hated those voices, hated the way they automatically placed her one rung above everyone else on the ladder.Daemon ate up the attention and respect he was paid but only because he didn't care that it was false."This just came for you."

Curious, she glanced over at him, to the paper he held in his hand and reached for it, her eyes swallowing the words then re-reading just to be sure.She closed her eyes, crumbling the paper in her fist, squeezing it tightly."Has his family been notified, Miletus?"

"No, ma'am.There wasn't time."

"I see.I'll see to it personally this evening.And Vailo Yuy and Reyna Maxwell managed to escape, did they?"

"So it would appear.Our sources say that they're still at large but the city is being closed as we speak.I have men working on it, of course but it's a question of who will find them first, Severn's men or our own," Miletus replied.

She studied him, this small bronzed man with dark eyes and curling blond hair.He was a Greek through and through, the blood of the Mediterranean coursing through his veins and marking him.Men such as this had created civilization beginning with the first Polis and moving from there, across the ocean and into Asia and Africa.Miletus had been with her a long time, almost from the beginning of her marriage to Daemon.He had always taken care to protect and serve her.She trusted him, enough not to chastise him for making decisions on his own, as Daemon would have.No, she valued his capacity for thought independent of her.It was the most valuable gift he could give her.

"Have I done wrong, Mistress?"Even now, he wasn't afraid of her, not, as a 'proper servant' should.In her entire world, he was the most genuine, most real person she had contact with and she appreciated that too much to let it be taken away by the brunt of a whip or the discipline of an 'iron hand.'

"Not at all.I was just wondering what I'd done to deserve such a good friend," she smiled, a real smile, not the cool, distant ones she gave to Daemon and his friends.

"I serve you," Miletus replied."I would be a poor servant if I did not think of your best interests."

"Friend, Miletus," she chided."Not a servant."

"Servant," he responded, just as stubbornly. "There's no shame in that, Mistress.The truth is better unvarnished."

She sighed."Does that mean you aren't my friend, Miletus?"

"I am in all but name.To take the name would be presumptuous for one in my position. The master would kill me if he heard such words fall from your lips and if I am dead, then I cannot serve you."

"We may all die by the 'master's' hand before this is over with.Are you sure you want to go through with this, Miletus?You don't have to, you know."

"My place is at your side," his voice was stern, like a father's voice scolding his child.In many ways, Miletus treated her as a daughter, cared for her, bandaged her when she was hurt and watched over her always even though it was but a few brief years that separated them in age.She had gained him with her marriage to Daemon, perhaps the one bright spot in that whole sordid mess.

"'Theirs not reason why, theirs but to do and die,' " she quoted, voice soft and eyes stinging at the thought."We shall try to do better, hmm?"

"Mistress."

"Miletus, I want someone watching Relena, I don't care who, but I want one of our people keeping an eye on her at all times.And I want your people to find Chang Wufei and Trowa Barton.I don't care how you do it, but do it.If I'm right, those two have already gone to ground and we may need their help before this is all over with."

"And Master Daemon?" Miletus asked.

She paused, turning to stare down again at the proceedings on the Senate floor."If we're lucky someone will take care of him for us.Leave him for the time being. We know where he is and we can deal with him later should it come to that."

It was hard and cruel to speak so of one's husband and part of her ached with each word, each sentence pronounced.Her hand lifted to the side of her face, closing her eyes against the pain of memory and feeling struggling to capsize her reason.She didn't love her husband, she hadn't for a long, long time but the feeling that had once been between them…The memory of that was strong, almost enough to make her want to cringe back into the shadows and not act.The shadows were safe, they hide and disguised what was true, and in the shadows she could pretend, pretend that Daemon loved her, pretend that love was returned, and pretend that what he was doing was right.It was only she didn't think that she could live with herself if she gave one more inch of ground.There wasn't much left to give, not of herself.Everything of value, everything of worth, had been taken, stripped from her.She had no pride, no illusions, or dreams. All she had left was hope, hope in the form of Relena Peacecraft, in the dream of the only person who had ever wanted to be her friend.She might not believe in that dream, but by God, she would damn well try to see it protected.

For the woman who had once been Dorothy Catalonia, it was the best and only atonement she could hope to offer.

***

**_Nairobi Preventer Base_**

Nairobi, Africa 

Cavan Merquise frowned as he tucked his flight suit's helmet under his right arm and glanced up at the holo-vision screen in one of the corridor hallways on the Nairobi Preventer Base."What's going on?"

"News broadcast, says that there's something big going on in the wake of the Sweeper's Headquarters bombing," a fellow officer who was standing next to him replied, looking up at the holo-vision that hung off the ceiling of the corridor.Many other officers and technicians also stopped to look at the broadcast.He had a feeling that the broadcast was going to cost some trouble…

"…during the Senate today, Senator Daemon Hallsfield of Colony 01 asked for a no-confidence vote against President Kushrenada's leadership and they are right now in the process of voting…As you know, Kushrenada has not had a lot of support since the war with Locke Dabnerba was over, and it seems that her power support is waning," the holo-reporter said, then looked off screen at some unseen person.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," a female Preventer officer commented softly as people crowded around Cavan to look at the holo-news.

"Oh wait!We've got urgent news!Arrests have been made out to all Preventer and Space Force personnel by the order of the now acting-President Hallsfield.Also, Kushrenada and supporters have been arrested on the charges of sedition and planning a rebellion-"

"What the hell?"

"Who do they think they are?"

"-arresting us?"

"What did we do?"

Cavan angrily shut off the holo-vision and made his way past the various officers and technicians that had crowded around.What had gone wrong during the senate meeting?Had the stupid senators been so foolish to believe such words from Hallsfield?

"Attention all personnel," a voice suddenly blared from the intercom system wired throughout the base."This is an order to evacuate the premises.Repeat, do not engage in any hostile forces and evacuate immediately.Over and out."

Cavan smiled grimly as he made his way against crowds of personnel converging to the shuttles; he had to get to his Gundam, that was the important thing.The new government, or whatever was controlling the Unified Earth and Colonies would want the Gundams and he had a feeling that they would use it to evil purposes._The same thing must be happening to the others, he thought as he entered a secret hanger bay below the base.Only he and a few other people knew about this place…it was where his Gundam, the Scorpion, and his cousin's Falcon Zero were stored._

"Hnn…Val might be escaping to space, and since this place will be…might as well take the damn thing with me," Cavan murmured quietly to himself as he ran up the ladder to the open cockpit of his Gundam and jumped in.

Glancing at the controls, he brought up a schematic database for slaving Val's Gundam to his and typed in a few commands.He knew that his cousin would be furious at him for slaving Falcon Zero to his, but why did he care?It was a matter of life and death at the moment and he didn't want a Zero-system Gundam to fall into the new government's hands.

Cavan sat back as he finished slaving Falcon Zero to the Scorpion then glanced at the vast expanse of the hanger bay he was in._It will be a war zone soon…we'll have to regroup, he thought grimly as he closed the cockpit and sealed it airtight.Placing his helmet over his head, Cavan pressed a small button that filtered oxygen through.__Time to-_

A sudden explosion ripped through the hanger bay and Cavan grunted loudly as he was thrown to the ground.Hitting a few switches he activated his Gundam and righted himself…only to see three old type mobile suits standing in front of him, their guns drawn and ready.

"Surrender at once Cavan Merquise!" one of the three Tauruses spoke up, lifting his gun barrel up a little higher in a gesture of warning.

"I don't have time to deal with you guys," Cavan replied, gunning the throttle and whipping out his heat whip, and shot forward.He set his jaw and sliced through all three Tauruses, then hit a few buttons to start up Falcon Zero.He brought up his beam rifle and shot a large hole through the ceiling and flew up and out, Falcon Zero on his tail.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed as he shot away from Nairobi base, his mind not believing what his eyes were seeing.The whole base and surrounding areas were crawling with different types of mobile suits, including some new ones he had never seen."Scorpion, stealth mode," he commanded his mobile suit as they rose higher, passing through many clouds…finally the darkness of space filled his cockpit window and Cavan breathed a sigh of relief.

Shutting off his thrusters, he brought up a map of the LaGrange points and the Colonies situated throughout Earth's orbit.He remembered a certain spot where no one really went to, it was within Colony 05's wreckage, where his Master Wufei was originally from._I'll have to hide there until I can contact the others, Cavan decided as he set course for the distant Colony 05's wreckage._

***

**_Streets of Paris_**

**_Paris, France_**

Heart thudding in her ears, Reyna flattened herself and wriggled through cramped crawlspace, Val's lean form just visible in the dimness.The ancient aluminum shaft creaked, as though uncertain it could withstand the weight of two Gundam pilots._Well, that's just great_, Reyna rolled her eyes, pushing a tendril of hair out of her eyes.As if people with guns pointed at them weren't enough, she now had to worry about this tin can collapsing in on them before they reached the exit._Some birthday this is turning out to be_, she griped.

It was easier to complain, to concentrate on the slippery cold metal tunnel around them than to let herself think about what was happening here.If she stopped, if she let herself dwell on the loss of not only her home but abandoning her parents and Heero Yuy back there, she was pretty sure she was going to break down and either kill something or bawl.And there simply was not time for either.

_At least I'm not alone_, she thought, scuttling forward, fingers scraping and clawing at the smooth plain of metal before her.On occasion she found herself rushing forward and grabbing Val's shoe, slowing them down and no doubt annoying the hell out of him (although he never spoke a word).Just to reassure herself that he was here, that he was with her.There was a hell of a lot of comfort in having Vailo Yuy at your back, she decided, doubly so if he was your boyfriend.There was even more comfort in still having her gun on her, even if it was currently digging into the small of her back.She'd almost left it at home but some small voice, scrap of soldier's survival instinct, warned her to carry it.That voice was one of the few things in her life she'd always heeded and damned if she wasn't glad she'd done so tonight.Val was unarmed, thanks to Severn and with this city crawling with troops, all of who were out for their blood, she was grateful to have this ace up her sleeve.

There was darkness and then just as suddenly there was light again, thin wisps peeking around Val's body.Not the light of day, no this one was orangish, probably that of a streetlight.Besides, her internal clock told her, it was a good four hours before sunrise.Four hours and then the shit really would hit the fan.Right now, they had the cover of darkness to aid them but once the sun rose… _We're sitting ducks, she thought.If they weren't out of the city by then, Reyna didn't want to think about what could happen. _

There was a faint whuff as Val slid forward, his body appearing and then disappearing from her line of sight, the entrance to the crawlspace coloring the aluminum pale orange-pink with light.She followed, her movements swift and silent, hanging on to the lip of the shaft before letting go, a pair of arms reaching out to catch and muffle her descent.Val held onto her before darting around the corner, a sharp rank scent hitting her nose with the impact of a freight trunk.Although it was dark again, she could make out the rectangular trash bins without sight._The smell alone is bad enough, she gagged.And it was just her luck that Val was headed straight for them, not satisfied until he had wedged their bodies behind one of them._

"I think we'll be all right over here.For now," Val whispered in her ear, holding her close.

"I should think so," she wrinkled her nose."Anyone with a sense of smell would stay away. Is that dead cat I smell?"

"Sorry, there wasn't time to book a room at the Sheridan," Val replied in sarcasm nearly as thick as the smell.

She felt herself tense, ready to deliver a blistering response, then stopped herself.Val was doing the best he could. He didn't deserve to have her cut loose on him right now.

"I'm sorry," he said after a moment.There was no need for him to say why, she knew, and knew it went beyond his sharp words.

She nodded."So what are we going to do?"

He let his head come to rest against the wall behind them, eyes staring upward."We have to get out of the city.I think… I think… We have to get to space.The Earth is just too hot right now."

"But our parents-"

"Will be fine."God, how she hated that cold chip in his voice, the sound of the soldier rising and taking charge.She hated how emotionless each word was, almost seeming to leech the warmth away from her body.

"If they not already dead," she muttered.

"Stop," he snapped."They're not dead."

"Why?Because the great Val Yuy says so?" she snapped in return. 

She was angry, so angry and all of it seemed directed at him.She lifted her hand, to punch or slap or maybe even claw him when his hand, so much larger than her own closed over hers, holding her in place.

"What was I supposed to do, Reyna?Let them take us?Let them kill us without a word?Not try to escape?" Each word was abrupt, nearly torn out of him."Was I supposed to have let you die? Would that have made things all right?Would that have made things better?"

No, no it wouldn't have. Nothing could make this better… except maybe Severn Cawley's head on a silver platter and she'd have that if she ever had five minutes alone with him.Getting angry with Val was stupid.It wasn't his fault.He had saved both of their lives by acting and she could not blame him for that."I-"

"I don't want to see you dead."

She blinked, the words quiet, still withdrawn from all emotion but holding in themselves all the feelings she couldn't hear in his voice."I just… I don't want you to die, Reyna.Not if I can do something about it."

"Val."What could she say?How she reassure him of a future she wasn't even sure of in the first place?She sought his hand and intertwined their fingers."All right.So we go to space?How?They'll have guards posted at all the space ports."

He started to answer when the sounds of voices, loud in the quietude of the passage.She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise as her ears strained. Footsteps, several sets unless she missed her guess, approached, each one louder than the one before it to her ears.

"Soldiers," he whispered, then pressed a finger against her lips to silence her.She nodded, biting her lip as they waited.Lights bounced up and down the alley walls, flashlights picking over the refuse.It would take little time for them to scan the alley.The only question was just how thoroughly they'd scan it.

Heart pounding, Reyna felt her body begin to shiver, tension tightening every muscle until even her hair felt stretched and tight with fear.Somehow she had always imagined her death would be in battle, with the dark comforting shell of Hellfire serving as her pyre or perhaps even in some ground fight, gun in hand with others at her side.She'd even gone so far to prepare herself for that eventuality, as much as anyone could do that. This was not how she wanted to die, not in the back of some stinking Paris alley, without ever knowing if her parents were alive or not.Not without knowing who and why had seen fit to destroy her life for a second time.And certainly not before she'd worked up the courage to tell Vailo Yuy just how much she really cared about him.

The arms holding her squeezed her, then let go, hands sliding up her arms and over her shoulders to touch her face, such a light gentle touch from those warm, weapon-calloused fingers.She couldn't see much, just a faint gleam that she thought might be his eyes as her chin was lifted, Val's mouth swift as it took hers.She twitched, the fear translating into something else, equally raw and pervading, as he kissed her, mouth coaxing mouth until she relented, lips parting just a fraction.Her eyelids fluttered shut, the wire tightness of her body slackening, curving into his, taking the support he offered and giving him herself in return. 

Those footsteps seemed to pound into the macadam, closer and closer but she let go, let go of the fear and concentrated on Val, on his touch as it threaded through her hair, on the intensity that he'd always possessed, an intensity that seemed to flare higher now than it had at any other moment.They could die, they might well die in the next few minutes but here, for this one instant, everything stilled in her mind, crystallizing into one moment, a moment she could hold to if the worst came, a moment worth going to her death for.Val.Her eyes pricked with tears that she refused to shed.No tears.Not for them.Never for them.Her breath seemed to stutter, tripping out of her mouth as his lips moved, over her eyes, cheeks, and chin, as if sought to memories the lines and planes of her face.She burrowed deeper, nearly burying herself in his overcoat as she struggled to get closer.There was no fear anymore, only the very real regret of things left unsaid and done, emotions felt that she tried to convey with each touch, each press of her mouth against his.

Something skittered in the darkness, brushing up against her foot and almost sending her out of Val's arms and up the brick wall behind them._What the hell_, her mind shrieked before a low yowl cut the darkness.From the edge of the trash bind, she watched a flashlight sweep up once then down again, illuminating an orange tabby cat.Brilliant gold eyes flashed then slitted, hissing at the men and diving away from the light. 

"Oh for God's sake, Juddson, it's just a stupid alley cat.That's probably what you heard in the first place," replied a disgusted voice.

"But sir- "

"But nothing.We've wasted enough time here.Move out!"

There was nothing then the sound of footsteps shuffling away feel sweet and clear on her ears._Oh God, she breathed, her head in Val's shoulder as they held each other.She could feel Val's heart beating, rapid despite appearances.So he was worried too?That made her feel a bit better and a bit worse.What did it say about their odds if Val was worried?_

They stood there, unmoving and wary for how long…?It seemed an eternity to her.Then Val moved, each movement stealth itself as he wriggled around her and to the corner of the trash receptacle, poking his head out for a better look.His shoulders slumped in relief as he motioned her forward. 

"We need to get to a space port and quickly. Sooner or later, someone is going to backtrack and realize their mistake.I'm not too familiar with Paris and I'm not exactly sure where we are-"

"We're near the Seine," she interrupted.

He paused, brows knitting."And just how the hell do you figure that?"

"The air for one," she inhaled deeply."Can't you smell the water nearby?And for another…"

A low blast sounded in the distance and Reyna smiled at the familiar sound."Foghorn.To warn ships."

"I know what they are," he clipped.

"Just checking.Anyway, the river can't be more than a mile a way… I'd wager less than that.There's a space dock over the river in the other half of the city.We'll have to cross a bridge to get to it," she replied, following him as they crept along the dark passageway.

He didn't reply to that but then she hadn't expected one.Crossing a bridge meant exposure.They'd have to cover a lot of ground quickly and hope to God, they were lucky enough to make it through before they were spotted.

It was odd, this silent run through the darkness, always sticking to the shadows and hiding from every human voice.It was like running in a dream, someone dogging their steps, always trying to run faster and always their pursuer seemed just a step behind.Part of her began to wonder if this wasn't some nightmare, a wayward dream that she could banish.The only bit of reality was Val, strong and noiseless as he ran at her heels. 

It was only through her knowledge of the city that they managed to evade the troops, taking side routes and climbing fences when needed.The closest they'd come to being caught in a one way, Val had solved by cold-cocking the soldier.She'd thought about shooting him, protecting them both but decided against it.They were in enough trouble without having to add 'murder' to the list of charges against them.

Sooner than she'd expected the Seine with its intricate network of stone bridges loomed before them, the bright lights across the Ponts beckoning them forward._We're going to make it, she squeezed Val's hand as they started up the nearest bridge.They had only to cross this and she knew she could get them through the rest of the city to the space dock.And once they got to space, they'd be home free.__We're getting out of here, she thought, giddy and light-headed.__We're-_

"Hey, you two.Stop." A rough voice barked.

Her heart sank but they kept on walking as though they hadn't heard. Just a bit further, she thought.

"Stop or I will shoot!"

They stopped._This is it, Reyna thought bleakly, beginning the slow move for the gun at the base of her spine when Val caught her hand.And pulled her towards him as he pivoted, towards the soldiers and closer to the railing of the bridge.He held her hands and his own up, as if to show they were weapon-less."Val," she hissed."What are you--?"_

He embraced her, pulling against him, his breath warm against her ear as he whispered."Get to space, Reyna.Whatever you do, get to space.We'll meet there."

She felt his hands on her back, dipping lower and removing her gun but she had little time to register it as he swept her in his arms and tossed her.She shrieked, arms waving as she fell away from the bridge, the dark waters of the Seine swirling_.Val, you sonofabitch, she thought as she hit the water, her gaze fixed on the bridge as the sound of gunfire died away in frothy dark current rushing overhead._

Authors' Notes:

The end of Chapter 3…looks like things are going to get pretty interesting!Anyways, Sephy and I collaborated on this chapter and it turned out really cool to write about!So, thank you to all those who have been patient for this chapter to come out and we'll be working on the next one, which will be due (hopefully) by the end of September 2001.Email us at either [persephone@gw.zzn.com][1] or [shadow_chaser41@hotmail.com][2].

   [1]: mailto:persephone@gw.zzn.com
   [2]: mailto:shadow_chaser41@hotmail.com



	4. Severed Dreams

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Retaliation 

By: Shadow Chaser and Sephy

Chapter 4 – Severed Dreams 

A cold wind blew by, ruffling up some sand from the endless dunes as far as the naked eye could see.  Those dunes stretched out to the farthest reaches of the horizon, but Neo Winner knew that they would end somehow, somewhere.  She just didn't care right now.  Pulling her dark brown cloak closer to her, she stood on top of one of the dunes, gazing out into the endless sea of sand.  _It was like a dead battlefield_, she thought to herself as another cold breeze blew by, whipping up more sand.

_Battlefield…_she snorted silently as she stared at the dunes, her mind wandering, but always, she kept a firm grip on her mental powers.  She didn't want anyone to find her at the moment.  She had a feeling that Xylon Riyet had orchestrated the whole coup d'etat, but she couldn't confirm anything at the moment.  All she knew was the arrests had been handed out for her parents, the Gundam Team, Preventer, and Space Force.  She had listened on a radio to the Senate hearings and what the new de facto leader, Senator Daemon Hallsfield had proclaimed.

He had said that the Gundam pilots were trying to start a war among the Unified Earth and Colonies, and then they would be able to take over and rule the world.  He had claimed that he had evidence within his grasp and he will present the evidence at their trials, followed by a swift execution when they were convicted.  Neo had felt her own anger grow within his words, and almost lashed out psychically, but restrained herself as she felt her mother's mental touch, all the way from Paris.

And now, after escaping the Space Academy and leaving Adler behind, she was here in the Sahara Desert, with her Uncle Rashid and the rest of the Maganac Corps, hiding in one of their secret bases underground.  She didn't know what to do now.  She knew that she couldn't contact any of her family members, lest risking herself to capture and possible execution because of her powers.  There wouldn't even be a trial for her.  She would be prosecuted under a military court full of her father's enemies.  They would blame her for causing so much pain and suffering due to her selfishness, and then the would convict her of the murders of so many innocent soldiers who were brainwashed by Locke Dabnerba.

She let out another silent snort and then glanced down at the ground to see a small desert scorpion walk by her.  The scorpion's black exoskeleton was matted with a few grains of sand, dulling its coat, but still, she could see the poison stinger hanging poised and ready to kill a wasp or a tarantula that wandered in its path.  _Go little one_; Neo urged silently to the scorpion, _there would be blood everywhere from now on.  You will be safe with your family._

She watched as the scorpion scurried off, apparently having heard her warning.  She sighed a bit, wishing that she could be that scorpion, only having to worry about food.

"Neo…" the soft, but gruff voice of her Uncle Rashid startled her a bit and she turned around to see him, standing solemnly and quietly, waiting for her.  His face showed one of a fatherly look, one waiting for her to become that little girl that she had grown out of.

"Uncle…" Neo nodded a greeting, trying to keep the sudden tears from falling out of her eyes.  Suddenly it was as if something had hit the barrier that was keeping all her emotions pent up.  She gave a small cry and rushed into her uncle's arms, hugging him tightly around the waist.  She cried into his clothes, pouring out all her frustration that she had acquired ever since Adler had forced her onto the shuttle that carried her there.

She could hear him say soothing words to her, but they were muffled as she sniffled loudly.  "How could they…how could they…" she whispered over and over again.

It was a long time before she let go of him and stepped back a bit, rubbing her face with her cloak, getting some sand stuck on her cheek, but she didn't care.  She glanced up at her uncle, "Thank you…"

"Its okay, Cerelia.  I…we know how you feel…" Rashid replied then cleared his throat softly, "the others are waiting for you…"

Neo nodded, and then turned her gaze to the endless sea of dunes, "I am ready.  Ready for whatever happens."  She then turned around, her jaw set her face grim, and she set out towards the underground Maganac Base.  She was done crying for now…now she was ready to fight a war of terrorism and attrition to overthrow the government that had so wronged her whole family.

                                    *                      *                      *

She entered the complex and followed Rashid to a podium that was set up in front of the masses of Maganac soldiers that were loyal to her father and family.  They cheered loudly as soon as she stepped up to the podium, raising their fists high up in the air and looking up at her small form from their vantage point on the ground near the feet of their mobile suits.

The head of one of the mobile suits came to her line of vision, her eyes exactly on the same plane as with the mobile suits eyes and she glanced back to her uncle who stood in the back, near the shadow of the stand.  He gave her a curt nod then gestured slightly to the crowd that was waiting.

Neo had prepared a speech for them, but she couldn't help thinking of the recent events that had befallen everyone.  She took a deep breath and waited for the cheering to die down.

"Long ago, you were the secret force Quatre Winner had at his disposal.  You were the ones that protected him and fought for the Colonies, for righteous justice and salvation from the hands of Oz," she started as she looked at them sternly.  _You were the ones that helped my father become who he is today.  I need you…_

"Now, is another grave time and I must call upon your support again," she continued as she tried to stick her emotions into a wall and shove it close with cement.  _I need your help.  I need your support to help my father and family.  The Maganac Corps is the only home I have as of now…_

"From what you have heard, this new faction of rebellion has dishonored and disgraced the Winner family.  I cannot let this happen any further," she slammed a hand down on the podium and the crowd erupted into cheers.  _Hallsfield is just playing with all those senators and twisting everything for his gain.  I sense something that is behind all this, something that I feel I need to ferret out._  The cheers died down after a few minutes and Neo waited until silence once more, reigned the hanger bay.

"I have prepared a speech for all of you, but," she glanced down once more at the sheet of paper in front of her with her jagged handwriting on it, taking some notes and pointers down.  Picking the paper up she stared at it, "Speeches are not for soldiers."  She ripped the paper apart, tearing it to minute shreds then tossing it to the side of her podium.  "I come before as a soldier, a commander, a leader.  I come before you to say that we will not stand quietly as this rebellion breaks loose.  We must be the ones to restore peace and order ever since Locke Dabnerba started the utter chaos.  We stopped Locke, and we will stop this rebellion now."

Cheers once again rose and deafened the hanger bay, as if some explosion had taken place and Neo smiled grimly.  She had thought about this ever since the shuttle Adler had built crashed landed in the soft sands, being shot up from the defense missiles all around the Arabian Peninsula she had managed to land herself near one of the Maganac bases.  Now, she made a decision.

"My people, I will be conducting sorties over various parts of the world and space colonies.  We must strike back hard against this evil!" she shouted towards them, her blood racing as she felt psychically the euphoria of victory rolling over all of the soldiers.  It was a very dizzying experience, but she steeled herself to continue, "You also must strike, strike with the hidden power of the Maganacs.  Do not worry if I am not to report in after days, I will play a low key in various activities.  Now I ask of you, to bare your arms and we shall strike back at those who caused us so much hurt!"

A wave of cheers washed over her words, drowning out whatever her last ones were as they cheered, long and hard, some tossing their turbans and hats up into the air.  She smiled, they were going to fight and by Allah they weren't going to falter until every one of those damn bastards was down on his or her knees begging them for their forgiveness.

Stepping away from the podium, Neo beckoned her uncle to come close, "Uncle Rashid, I need you to get a pair of scissors and electric shaver.  Bring one of the old Romefeller uniforms that you acquired long ago, make sure it's my size."

"Neo, what-"

"Please, Uncle.  No questions yet."

"All right, Neo; I will do as you ask," Rashid left and gestured to both Abdul and Adallah to follow him.

Neo saluted the other high-ranking Maganacs that were on the platform near the podium with her, "Get the men and women ready, and tell them the battle plans."

"Yes sir!" they replied and Neo walked away, the cheers still echoing behind her.  She knew what she had to do now, and she knew the dangers of it.  _I hope the others are safe…Adler…I need your support…_

                                    *                      *                      *

Reyna heaved up another lung full of the Seine river water, her chest aching in pain as coughs racked her weary body even further, making her bones rattle and shake.  The water mostly spilled into the bucket that Tani had provided, but some sloshed over to the side, spilling onto her precious oriental carpet but she knew that her best friend didn't mind the least bit at the moment.

"There, there, Reyna," her friend's soothing words were a comfort to her ears as she coughed then felt tears prick in her eyes.  Her friend's small hand rubbed along the spine of her back, giving her the much needed comfort that she felt she could not find at the moment…not since she had fell into the Seine with Val shooting for his life as she watched him, slowly firing the bullets…then water washed over her head, threatening to drown her as she couldn't swim for her life.

"Let it all out Reyna," Tani comforted her as she wiped at her tears angrily.  How could she have been so stupid as to not see what Val was planning?  Why did he sacrifice himself for her?  Did he actually have a plan?

Reyna tried to keep her breathing as even as possible, but all she got was hiccups and tears still rolling down her face.  "How…h-how could h-he?" she stuttered between hiccups, "stupid, baka…Val…"

"Reyna," Tani started but she wasn't listening, "Reyna, listen to me…listen!"

She felt Tani's grip on her still sopping wet arm, once draped with towels, but unable to soak the water up, but shook it off as she stood up, feeling her knees wobble a bit.  "Leave me alone, Tani," she whispered then started to walk off.

"Sarah Reyna Maxwell!  You listen to me good!" Tani's usually squeaky voice was now full of anger and disappointment, "Don't you dare leave my presence when someone is trying to help you, _especially_ me!  Val threw you off the bridge for a reason.  And I think that reason is to _save you_, to preserve you.  He _knew_ something that we all don't know.  He also knew that you would be able to survive and come back, maybe even save him if he is captured!

"Don't you dare turn your back on me, Reyna," Tani's words drilled into her mind and she stopped but refused to look back, "just _don't_ you dare turn.  I could have left you out in the Seine, but no.  I'm your best friend, someone you grew up with along with Tarrant.  Val didn't want you to end up like Tarrant; he wanted you to live, to survive!  What do you think Tarrant would have done?  Would he have left you out to be captured?  Even killed by the enemy?"

With each word that felt like knives in her back, Reyna felt her anger mounting on the inside.  No way in hell did Tani have the right to insult Val, her pride, or her brother's memory.  She whirled around and stalked towards the petite girl, towering over her as she glared down at her with blazing blue eyes.  She didn't even register the loud slap as the palm of her hand met Tani's cheek until there was a growing red mark of the outline of her hand on her best friend's face and Tani's eyes were wide with surprise.

"Don't _you_ dare talk about Tarrant, Tani," she said in a deadly quiet voice, "you'll never know how Tarrant was like during his last moments because you _weren't there_."

Giving one more measured glare she then turned around and walked to the room where Tani had laid out new clothes for her.

"And where do you think you're going?" Tani called after her and she tensed just as she entered the room.  God that girl was being a total bitch at the moment…

"To get Hellfire," she replied then slammed the door close.

                                    *                      *                      *

The angry buzz of desert wasps was very close to Neo's ear but she didn't really mind it at all.  It was only the electrical shaver that was cutting her once shoulder-length blonde hair into a cropped style.  She felt the shaver brush by the back of her head near her neck again and closed her eyes.

It was the same thing all over again, except there was no Locke Dabnerba to fight, just a government that has gone wrong.  She knew what she had to do, to help bring down the government, but she hoped that the others would also be doing some form of resistance…if they had not been captured.

She knew that Reyna was in Paris, and on her birthday, such an attack was atrocious…she hoped that the Maxwells were able to escape like Duo's motto _I run, I hide, but I never tell a lie…_

Val and his family were at the time separated and she knew that Relena Peacecraft-Yuy would be captured in due time, it was just her nature not to put up a fight but settle things peacefully.  _But Heero would probably go down with a fight and Val would probably escape and see if Reyna is all right…and if she is captured, he will probably break into whatever prison they have in Paris and free her…_

She didn't know what Wufei would have reacted, but then again, keeping tabs on the Chinese warrior was hard.  He kept popping in and out of places at random times.  So they won't be able to find him…

Which left her family, Adler, and Trowa…  She bit her lip, as she knew that her father would also surrender peacefully, upholding his pacifist ideals like Relena Peacecraft, but she also knew that her mother would not escape to the Maganac Bases around the Colonies and Earth.  She would stay by his side as a protector of her father, doing her duty as a wife and as a Maganac.  Which also meant that her brother and sister would also be placed under arrest…

"They are strong Neo.  Master Quatre will not let himself die so easily.  If need be, he would fight before he is brought down before them," Rashid's voice rumbled above her as he put down the shaver he was working with and picked up pair of scissors.  Neo nodded in reply, still keeping her eyes closed.

"But…I fear…" she swallowed past a painful lump that was sitting in her throat.

"Adler will be fine.  He's a strong person.  He knows that to be captured will mean certain death for him.  For your generation of Gundam pilots, being captured will mean the end of you, but for your parents, they will try to use them to influence many others," Rashid replied and she snapped open her eyes as Rashid put the scissor down after cutting a few strands of her hair.

She whirled around and met him with an evened stared, "They won't use them.  Not Dad, not anyone."

"Neo," Rashid brushed her shoulders from hair, "they will use them to find you.  They will use fear to instill the public to hunt you down.  From what I see so far, they're just like Romefeller…"

"Then I guess that's why we Gundam pilots are here," she said in a noncommittal voice then turned around and raised a blonde eyebrow at her mirror reflection, "hello new person…"

"Have you chosen a name to go with your cover?" Rashid asked, taking off the sheet of plastic that covered her body and the green Romefeller uniform that she wore.

"Trent Wynn," Neo replied as she stood up from the chair, giving a quick mental nod to her flattened chest, even though her bust was already quite small, and then turned around.  "Thank you Uncle Rashid."

"You're welcome Neo," Rashid replied, a small, but proud smile on his face."

"Its Trent Wynn.  Neo will be staying in the shadows of the Maganac Base," she grinned a grin that was a feral look, full of teeth.  _This new government will see hell when I get there…_

                                    *                      *                      *

**Author's Notes:**

            Finally done with CH 4.  If it's short, sorry about that.  But I wanted things to get into the action-oriented position I'm so used to writing right now…  Reyna's part will be expanded, in the next chapter.  Well, CH 5 will be out roughly near spring, so somewhere along the line I'll be writing a new chapter.  Next chapter: Adler's escape and what the other old Gundam pilots are up to!  Plus we'll check in with the baddies for their maniacal schemes!  ^_^


	5. Hearts and the Will to Live

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Retaliation 

By: Shadow Chaser

**Author's Notes:**

            By the time you read this chapter, Sephy and I have already separated our ways for this fic.  Though she is still contributing her wonderful ideas to this story, I've decided to write up the rest of the story.  And no, I'm not telling the reason and please, **DO NOT** go bothering her.  She is a wonderful person, but please do not pester as she has other projects happening.

Chapter 5 – Hearts and the Will to Live 

Adler just ran.  He didn't even stop to look back at the firefight that was going on between his father, Jun, and the various personnel that had betrayed them.  He just followed the orders given to him by his superiors and knew that he had to get away.  Something inside of him told him that his father was going to die, sure he might get injured, but he wasn't going to die if the students captured him and faculty that had betrayed them.

But the something that told him about his father also told him that if _he_ was to be captured, then it meant certain death.  But he didn't know what would happen to Jun.  Most likely his fellow soldier, friend, and almost brother was going to be executed for committing 'treason' against the government.  But what government was there to rule the Unified Earth and Colonies?  Adler frowned as he entered the lower levels of the Space Academy.  It was mostly empty here save for a few shuttles and some maintenance crews on duty.

He hoped that the crews weren't as fanatical about shooting him down as the students and faculty were.  He was running low on bullets and he hate to shoot down his fellow comrades even to save his own life.  Sliding up against a wall, he peered to the other side of the hall…no one in sight.  Keeping a tight grip on his gun, Adler ran quickly down to an unused shaft and climbed down.  He hoped that Neo had gotten to the Earth safely and was going underground.  If anything happened to her, God help those that laid a hand against her.

He had kept his Gundam hidden here in the depths of the Academy, same as he did with his shuttle.  The proud and tall form of his Taliesin reflected against the moon and sunlight pouring in from some of the windows and he looked up at it.  Kept in trim battle condition, he had hoped that he wouldn't have to use it again…but now…

He climbed the small hook that drew him up to the cockpit and leapt in.  Grabbing the helmet that he had always kept in his cockpit, he slipped it on and closed the hatch while powering up his Taliesin.  As a deep hum started to fill the cockpit, Adler glanced at the outer screens.  No one had noticed him yet.

Taking a few steps forward, he dropped into the elevator shaft that was specifically designed for mobile suits doing combat training and tapped in the override password for the doors to open.  Taking a deep breath, he gunned the throttle and flew outside.

Space greeted him, and along with space…many enemy mobile suits.

                                    *                      *                      *

Trowa ducked as a bullet passed close by his face, it's trajectory leaving a quick breeze against his cheek.  He reloaded his gun, noting that he was on his last clip.  Things weren't too good as most of the students that had charged at him and Jun were either dead or injured severely and still they kept coming at them.  Glancing over to Jun, he saw that the older man had sweat glistening on his face, and was breathing heavily from exertion.

"Jun!" he yelled as he saw his friend suddenly take a bullet to the shoulder, making him stagger back from his slightly covered position.

Trowa leapt past the firing of bullets and crouched next to his friend, dragging him back into the safety of their cover, or whatever was left of it.  He pulled his friend upright and shook him.  "Jun, you all right?"

"Yeah," Jun gasped slightly wincing as he glanced at the bullet…which had been an exploding one, making the wound on his arm even messier and a lot of blood was soaking into his uniform, to the point of dripping into a puddle underneath him.  "Just a scratch."

"Yeah right," Trowa frowned then peered cautiously around…he suddenly snapped his head back as a bullet came flying, milliseconds from where his head was.  "It doesn't look good.  They want me, dead or alive, I think…probably alive so they can capture Adler and the others," he explained to Jun as he fired off a round, a wild shot.

"So then we can't let them get you, ne Trowa?" Jun laughed wheezingly, then hissed in pain as he clutched his damaged arm.  "Run, Trowa…" Jun whispered and he strained his ears to hear his friend, "don't let them capture you.  You're too valuable to us…to the Space Force and all those who were twisted by whatever had happened down on Earth…or maybe the colonies.  As a former Gundam pilot, you should know that you can kill yourself and save the others trouble, but don't forget, you still have a son to take care of."

"Jun-"

"No, listen to me Trowa.  I'm not going to make it out alive.  With a wound like this, heh, it'll be a matter of hours before I become history.  Live, Trowa…live and come back Heavyarms blazing.  I'll cover for you…" Jun brought his gun up and smiled through the pain, "now go…my friend.  Go…"

Trowa hesitated, staring at his friend and compatriot for what he knew was the last time he would see him.  Jun Arakawa was a good man, and an efficient soldier.  He knew that if he ran, Jun would be able to hold off whoever was trying to capture him for at least five more minutes, giving him enough time to reach the shuttles.

In a wordless gesture as for two soldiers of the battlefield long ago wiped away, Trowa grabbed his friend's shoulder and held on tight for a few seconds.  He released it and then took a deep breath.  In the midst of gunfire, he heard the distant sounds of students and faculty reloading.  _Now…_he thought to himself as he pushed himself from the hiding spot and started to run.  He didn't glance behind him as he heard Jun returning the gunfire that had started up with a fierce barrage and slipped down the stairs towards the hidden hanger bay.

Jun Arakawa, crouched behind the stack of plastic bullet resistant boxes heard the footsteps of his friend fading away and smiled grimly.  _Goodbye Nanashi…it was a good life fighting next to you when we were just simple soldiers; I, a mobile suit pilot, you…about to become a Gundam pilot._

The smile was on his face as a bullet pierced the middle of his forehead, killing him instantly.

                                    *                      *                      *

Adler cursed silently to himself as he dodged a beam saber coming from a Leo.  He retaliated by firing off round after round of bullets, making the Leo shudder and then suddenly explode.  Out of the cloud of smoke that was part of the Leo, Adler blasted another Leo that was trying to come through the smoke in a surprise attack.  Turning around, he fired at a crowd of Tauruses and Serpents, letting loose a barrage of missiles and bullets.

Suddenly his Gatling guns clicked empty and Adler frowned.  He hated the limited amount of supply his Taliesin could carry and dropped both barrels.  There would be time to build another set, and maybe this time built them with more bullet capacity.  Reaching behind him he activated his beam trident and shot forward, slicing a Taurus in half.  Not letting anyone else get by him, he made quick work of two other Serpents and then noticed something behind him.  Glancing back he saw a shuttle launch from the general area he had launched his Gundam from and was streaking towards the colonies.  A few Serpents had also noticed, but made no move to stop the shuttle.  Instead they were focused solely on him.

"All right then, if it's a fight you want then you're going to get it," he whispered mostly to himself as he launched the rest of his missiles and activated his shield cloak.  The thin layer of protective beam absorbent wrapped around him and he turned his trident to the highest setting and narrowed his eyes.  His targeting system calculated how fast he needed to be in order to get rid of all the enemy mobile suits…

With a sudden beep, Adler shot forward, swinging his trident into the path of the mobile suits.  Everything was a blur, but he could clearly see his enemy.  As he decimated the path of Tauruses, Leos, and Serpents, he distantly registered the explosions in his mind.

"No!  Stop!  We surrender!" a voice suddenly broke into his frequency, but Adler didn't care as he growled back.

"You chose the wrong side," he said curtly as he sliced the head off of the last Serpent, not noticing the explosion that had encircled him.  When the blast cleared, Adler looked around.  Not even a single enemy mobile suit was left, just pieces of metal and shards of glass.  Murmuring something under his breath, Adler made a course for Lagrange point 3, where he knew that he would be able to find shelter within his father's home colony.

                                    *                      *                      *

Reyna stared out in the window at Tani's house.  Though her best friend lived with her parents, she was glad that they weren't home.  Tani had found her gasping for air like a fish out of water as she was carried downriver on the turbulent Seine.  One hand clenched into a fist as she stared out at the cityscape of Paris.  She could distantly see the tendril of smoke that was the Sweepers building burning to ashes.  Apparently Severn and his goons decided to let the Sweepers burn to the ground and she felt silent tears trailing down the side of her face.  Her home…her family…her memories, all-burning away.

Turning around, Reyna glanced on the bed at what was once her birthday dress…now ruined.  She had lost her high heels in the river, but didn't really care.  It was her birthday…no, it was her and Tarrant's birthday and it was destroyed by whatever crack head was the head of this insurrection.  Clenching and unclenching her fist, she felt like pounding something into dust, but a small rational part of her mind told her that Tani wouldn't appreciate it.

So what?  Tani had no right to even mention Tarrant in such a way that it bit deep down into her soul.  She didn't know Tarrant…so why should she say these things.  _It's for you young lady_, the rational part of her mind replied dryly, _you're too emotional at the moment.  You must become the soldier Val is.  Destroy whoever did this to you and restore order.  That's what a Gundam pilot does._

_Val…_the name echoed within her head and she bit back a cry of anguish.  She didn't even know if Val had survived lest him being captured, but somehow, deep down, she knew that Val was alive and was probably planning the same thing she was.

_No…I…can't let anymore of these feelings get to me.  I swore to myself that I would be strong, be strong to support both Tarrant and myself if anything happened.  Now I'll have to support my father and mother, support Tani, as she is a total innocent to these things but most of all, support Val.  I am a Gundam pilot…I am trained to fight off whoever threatens the government_, she thought fiercely to herself as she angrily wiped the tears off of her face and stared at the mirror that reflected her black clothing and long braided hair.

"I am a Gundam pilot," she whispered to her image and then glanced down at the desk and saw a pair of scissors.  Picking it up, she opened it and held it close to her head.  I can't stay like this, not when I look a lot like my father, she thought to herself as she grabbed a part of her braid and ran the scissor through it.

With a scratching sound, she pulled the scissor through and then let go of the braid.  Her hair fell to the ground with a soft thump, the braid still intact, but her hair was now a jagged mess that only fell to her shoulders.  Her once long beautiful brandy brown hair was no more and she glanced at herself in the mirror.

"My name is Reyna Maxwell, daughter of Duo and Hilde Maxwell.  I am the pilot of Hellfire and I will become Shinigami to those who have wronged my family," she spoke to her image, placing the scissors down and picking up a black cap and stuffing her now shoulder length hair into the cap.

Glancing towards the door that lead to the living room and other parts of Tani's apartment, she whispered, "I'm sorry Tani, but I'll have to go alone for now.  Thank you for your support, but I cannot involve you any further."

Turning towards the window, she avoided looking at the skyline where Sweepers headquarters was burning and opened it, making the room fill with the loud sounds of Paris.  Climbing out, she made her way down towards one of the alleyways and ran off in a northwest direction from Tani's apartment.

There was a hidden bunker beneath one of the old government buildings near the Seine and that was where she had kept her Gundam.  Though she didn't have a gun on her, Reyna knew that no one would check the spot where she hid her Gundam.

What she didn't know was that another pair of eyes was following her every move as she made her way towards the resting spot of the Hellfire.

                                    *                      *                      *

Damon Hallsfield steeple his fingers and smiled slightly as he watched on the monitor screens the imprisonment of the former Gundam pilots.  What irritated him the most was the fact that all of the Gundam pilots' children had eluded him, especially Vailo Yuy and Reyna Maxwell.  He had personally sent Severn, one of the best soldiers in the employment of the late Locke Dabnerba, to capture those two.  Except Severn had botched up the operation, leaving Heero Yuy injured and letting the two children escape.

A sneer came to his face as it wiped out the smile and he resisted the urge to crush something within his hands.  He returned his attention to the screens, which showed Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Relena Peacecraft-Yuy, Zechs Merquise, Ione Winner, and Lucrezia Noin.  The people up in the Space Academy had also botched up their operation and let Trowa Barton, Adler Barton, and Neo Winner go.  It should have been easy enough as the Space Academy had a limited amount of placed to hide, but he didn't count the fact that there was hidden hanger bays and such.

"I think fretting about it wouldn't be too wise," a deep voice spoke gently from the door to the Senate room in Geneva, Switzerland.

"And when do you ever see me fretting, Xylon Riyet?" Damon composed his face into a neutral mask as he kept a tight rein on his emotions.

"Then why the frown," the young man countered, walking up towards him and stopping by his chair, casually looking at the screens, "Severn didn't complete the mission did he?"

"You told me he was the best.  Both of you were the best," Damon replied neutrally, but let a hint of disappointment slip into his voice along with a warning.

"We are, but sometimes the best fail," Xylon simply shrugged, letting his black hair fall over his eyes.

"Be sure not to fail again.  I want you to send your teams out to search and destroy those kids.  Find where Trowa Barton and Wufei Chang went.  They're vital to our plans," Damon shut the screens off and spun the chair to face Xylon who was wearing a dark green-black uniform.  "Do not fail me, this time."

"As ordered Mr. President," Xylon replied in a monotonous voice and saluted then spun around and left the door shutting behind him.

Damon turned back around and rubbed his temples then glanced out into the empty space where the Senate had sat only a few hours ago.  A few hours ago, Mariemaia Kushrenada had been in control…now he, Damon Hallsfield, was in control and it was time that the legend of the Gundam pilots be put to naught.

He pressed a button on the control panel his seat controlled and looked at the cameras that showed a lab, scientists milling around what looked to be a skeletal body.  _Perfect…soon it will be ready and I will destroy the Gundam pilots one by one._

                                    *                      *                      *

**Author's Notes:**

            I had to end it there because saying more will spoil.  Sorry if the chapters seemed short at the moment.  I'm trying to get to a good spot.  Next part will probably be featuring Neo and her transition into the enemy lines and probably something to do with Anima, though I'm not too sure at the moment.  Oh yeah, maybe a few prisoner interaction with Relena and the rest of the women that were captured.  ^_^  Shadow Chaser signing off…10/21/02.


	6. Infiltration of the Enemy Base

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Retaliation 

By: Shadow Chaser

**Author's Notes:**

            I'm using the Babylon 5's EarthForce ranking system for those in Space Force and a slightly altered version of the USAF's rankings for Preventers and Ground Force.  Military cells usually have television and some basics, and I'm basing this off of Stargate SG-1's use of military cells (aka Col. Maybourne).

Chapter 6 – Infiltration of the Enemy Base 

Neo listened to the sharp rapping of her shoes as they echoed in the spacious, but sparsely decorated halls of the Alexandria Base in Egypt.  Though she had been here a few times both as a Gundam pilot and as a representative of Winner Corporation, she pretended to be wide-eyed and lost like a normal recruit would.  She was wearing civilian garb and her duffle bag was packed with her old Romefeller uniform and a few changes of clothes that Rashid had acquired to fit her.

She headed towards the registration area where the new government had implemented their recruiting center.  It disgusted her to see so many traitorous soldiers wandering around the captured Preventer Base.  But still, it was a week after since the arrest of her parents and the impeachment of President Mariemaia, and so she didn't really expect anything to go smoothly.  The new government, headed by someone named Daemon Hallsfield, whom she didn't really know as her mother never mentioned anything about her meetings in Geneva when she went there to represent Winner Corp., was at least efficient – she had to give him that bit of credit, however small.  They had called themselves the New Unified Nations.

Soldiers armed with guns lined the area, stopping anybody who looked suspicious or was lurking around.  They were also smiling at the other recruits who were going to the registration area like she was.  _Focus, Neo, focus, you're not a 'she' anymore right now, you're a he!  You're Trent Wynn_, Neo bashed the thought out of her head.

As she got into the line to sign up for their military force, aptly named National Army or the Nationals, she wondered if she was doing the right thing.  She didn't see anyone that would recognize her off the bat and for that she was glad, but she had her doubts.  So far it was very easy…

"Hey, you're signing up too?" a youngish voice behind her asked and she turned around to see a geeky looking kid, a mere teenager, with freckles and light brown hair smiling at her.  Part of her wanted to laugh at the absurdity of this _kid_ joining the military…but another part quashed it down as she knew that she didn't want to be making enemies in the first place – it wouldn't do her good for her mission in the long run.

_What **is** my mission?_ The fleeting thought occurred to her, but she pushed it away and gave the kid a half smile.

"Yeah," she was grateful that her mother taught her different intonations of voice and now she was able to culture her voice to a deeper inflection, more like a boy who past puberty, but didn't really have a serious voice range drop.  "I wanna get away from my home."

"Where are you from?" the kid asked.

"Colony L4," she replied, "the Winner Colony."

"Oh…damn man, I heard that the whole Winner family's been arrested, though they can't really find their eldest kid, that racer girl," the kid replied, scratching his head, "I thought all L4s are pacifists…"

"Hey, not all L4s are pacifists," Neo frowned and watched as the kid laughed nervously and backed up.

"Sorry, sorry…geez…you must really hate them.  Me mum tells me that they're oppressive.  You have to follow their orders of peace or else," the kid replied, "I'm from L2 by the way."

"Yeah…they're oppressive…" Neo agreed.  "They make you learn about their history and the history of war and how it's all just stupid nonsense to fight, it sucks," she lied, trying to keep an awful feeling from rising up.

"I'm Andrew Faulkner, by the way," the kid held out his hand and Neo took it, shaking it.

"Trent Wynn," she said without a single hitch in her voice.

"Nice to meet you," Andrew replied.

"Next!" a sharp voice barked over to them and Neo realized that she was next.  She hastily grabbed her bag and made her way towards a severe looking military official who had an imperialistic and smug look to him.  She guessed that he was recently promoted and was probably just mere 2nd Lieutenant or Cadet before this fiasco happened.

"Name," Neo read his name tag to be "Conrad" and noted that he was a Captain, the same rank as Adler's father in the Space Force.

"Trent Wynn," she replied confidently.

"Birthplace and homeplace," Captain Conrad seemed a bit bored.

"LaGrange Point 4, Colony 4."

"Oh, the Winner Colony," Neo could sense that there was a sneer within his comment, but refused to let her anger loose.

"Yes sir," she replied as neutrally as possible.

"Birthdate," he didn't seem to hear her.

"November 22, AC 209," the year was correct, but Neo altered her birthdate to something later than her regular November 15th birthday.

"You're fifteen?!" now Captain Conrad was intrigued.

"Yes sir," she replied then handed him some papers, "these are my birth documents and my resume with requirements.  I have been trained to work on mobile suits as my parents owned a repair shop.  I am qualified to pilot Space Leos and Tauruses."  She was grateful that Halid, one of the soldiers of the Maganac, an old softie really, was able to forge such convincing papers that held their own under the closest scrutiny.

"I have seen enough," the Captain rounded the table he was sitting at and approached Neo who stood ram-rod straight as she had seen Val and Cavan do at their military drills, "you are qualified to join the Nationals.  Welcome, Cadet Trent Wynn."  The Captain stuck out his hand and Neo took it.  She shook hands with him and could feel the emotions within him.  They were bursting of a sense of ambition…she had a feeling that he was going to use her character, Trent Wynn, to gain positions.

Let him gain his positions, she didn't care.  She had ambitions of her own – to bring down the New Unified Nations from within.

                                    *                      *                      *

Ione Winner paced around the ivory mantled fireplace of the huge spacious mansion she and the other women were placed in.  Essentially they were under house arrest, but to Ione, it felt like confinement.  The six other women with her sat around the fireplace, all of them with grim looks on their faces.  Some peals of laughter could be heard in the other room as three children played, but there was no laughter here.

They had all been brought here within a week since Daemon Hallsfield declared that their husbands and anyone associated with them were traitorous to the Unified Earth and Nations.  The gentle blaring of a flat-screened television set blared on about the news and Ione resisted the urge to flick it off.  It was as simple as not to watch the horror unfolding, but she wanted to hope that there was something about her husband or her daughter Neo.

She had already seen footage of her husband's capture and by Allah, she was proud of him.  He had held his head up high even though they abruptly stormed a meeting and took him out of there, much to the surprise of all who were in the meeting.  The news footage then showed the person who would replace Quatre as head of Winner Corporation, before cutting to where they were putting him in handcuffs and sticking him in a police car.  Still, Ione saw the proud and unwavering look her husband had given to the cameras.

God how she missed him so much.  She wondered where he was at the moment…was he safe?  Was he even alive anymore?  Granted it was just a week since Hallsfield's coup, but she didn't know anything anymore.  They had blindfolded her, Relena, and Mariemaia on their journey here and she didn't really know where they were.  Windows outside over looked mountains and forests, but there wasn't anything familiar to her about the place.

"Recruitment for the Nationals has gone up, with those are willing to join the war against the Gundam Oppressors," the broadcaster suddenly blared and Ione plopped down onto a seat, glaring at the newscaster.  They had replaced those at GNN (Global News Network) with someone from Hallsfield's side of the fence, and he was doing a fine job of spouting political nonsense.

"Turn it off," she growled to no one in particular.

"In other news, the clean up is still proceeding in the Space Academy-"

"Wait, leave it," she changed her mind, as she remembered Quatre telling her that their daughter was going to the Space Academy to discuss the de-armament process with Space Force officials.

"-with many students and faculty among the injured from the ruthless attack of Captain Trowa Barton and his compatriots who unfortunately fled the scene and was unable to be detained.  Rumored to be among the attackers of the Space Academy was his son, Adler, and Cerelia Winner, eldest daughter of the head of Winner Corporation.  Both young adults are unaccounted for.  Due to her missing status, Winner's racing position, formerly in contention of the Championship, was removed from the Colony Circuit.  If anyone has any information concerning the whereabouts of Adler Barton and Cerelia Winner, please inform the proper authorities – these children may be in grave danger."

"Yeah, grave danger from Hallsfield," Lucrezia Noin snorted quietly and very unlady-like from her chair.  Ione glanced at the former Commander of Preventers with a mild expression.  In all the years that she had gotten acquainted with Noin, she never knew the woman to be so feisty.

"At least we know the children are out there somewhere," Catherine Bloom commented softly.  Ione could feel for the woman as she knew that Catherine was like a second mother to Adler and it had to be hard on her…but not so much as the two other women who sat next to her, Hilde Maxwell and Relena Peacecraft-Yuy.

Hilde had seen her life go up in literal flames when Sweepers Headquarters was blown up and she still had a few injuries from being manhandled roughly on her way here.  Bandages still covered a part of her face, but Ione could see fire in her eyes.  For Relena Peacecraft-Yuy, she saw more than fire, she saw an inferno.

Ione wished that she had told Relena about sending Neo to the Space Academy to discuss disarmament negotiations, but there hadn't been time.  She wanted to say something, anything, to place the blame on herself for all she cared, she just didn't want to see the pain in Relena's eyes as they all watched what they had tried to attain at such a young age fall apart in the matter of a few days.

Relena was the core of them.  Not even Lady Une or Mariemaia Khushrenada was the sticking factor.  No, Relena held them up with her ideals and her charisma.  She was the one to pass on her ideals to Mariemaia, and to all of them.  And now…to see her like this…

As Ione glanced back at the television screen, she hoped to Allah that her child and those who were the second generation of Gundam pilots, right things again.  It was retaliation for the three beats of rebellion, war, and peace.  The peace was over and now a rebellion had to start.

War was about to begin again.

                                    *                      *                      *

For Duo Maxwell, the war had begun.  It had begun long ago.  It had begun when Locke Dabnerba and her psycho offspring Lealya killed his son Tarrant.  This was only the second stage of that war.  Even though a new opponent had stepped up onto the battlefield, it was still a war to Duo.

Though he was confined to a military cell, he knew that he could still fight his war.  He knew that Severn Cawley and Daemon Hallsfield, whoever the guy was, would torture them for information – what information he didn't know, but didn't care – and he would fight them tooth and nail.

Besides, the incompetent fools didn't manage to capture Trowa or Wufei.  He snickered softly at the thought.  He had been watching the twisted news, watching how Hallsfield distorted everything, but still Trowa and Wufei eluded them.  He felt cheered at the thought that two of their team of six had disappeared, but still didn't count the fact that they had brought in Zechs in horrible shape.

The man looked like hell, in Duo's opinion.  They had brought him in bloodied, bruised, and battered and dumped him in his cell.  A doctor had come and tended to Zechs' wounds and gave medication, but otherwise, he didn't stir one bit. In a twisted sense, Duo was pretty glad that Zechs looked like that.  It meant that the former Colonel of Preventers had put of a huge fight without giving an inch until they took him down.

Even though he and Heero had put up a fight before Severn's men knocked them unconscious, Duo felt a sense of regret for not going all out.  But he couldn't, not with his wife's life at stake.  He had to protect her…he couldn't loose another member of his family like he lost Tarrant.  He knew that Heero's son, Val, would protect Reyna with his life (even though he didn't like the prospect of the two of them together), so he had to do the same with Hilde.  It was his duty, no it wasn't a duty, it was his life to protect all those he loved and cared for.

But right now he felt empty and a sense of dread filled him.  They had taken Hilde away, where he didn't know, and it gnawed at him.  He fervently hoped that she was all right and was protected, but even he had his doubts.  If anyone laid a hand on her…God wouldn't be able to help them…Shinigami would take his revenge when he got out of here.

A sudden shift in moment caught Duo's eyes and he glanced up from lying on his bed to see Heero flexing his injured hand, the one Severn shot.

"Heero, buddy, you shouldn't do that," Duo warned and received a death glare from his friend.  "All right, all right, I get the point…sheesh…"  He fidgeted slightly…he hated the quiet that was in here.  Even the usual talkative Quatre, who was in the cell next to him on his left, was quiet.

They all had attempted to bust out of here the second they were locked up, but that resulted in a few burns and some electric tingles running through them.  Their cells were electrified all day and they delivered a good jolt if one was to touch them.  Duo knew…his hands were still red and sore from his last attempt.

Flopping back on his bed, Duo sighed and stared up at the grey ceiling.  He let his thoughts wander to his daughter…who was fighting a war of her own…on her own…without her brother at her side.  God how he missed his son…he missed Tarrant so much…and especially with Sweepers-

No!  He wouldn't think of Sweepers…he couldn't.  He had to be strong; he had to be strong for his wife and daughter.  His wife whom he didn't know where she was, and his daughter, alone in the world.

No…she wasn't alone, she had Val.  Vailo Yuy…

For the first time since meeting Val, Duo came to a sense of peace that Val would do whatever necessary, to protect his daughter.  And that comforted him.

                                    *                      *                      *

**Author's Notes:**

            Sorry it's at an abrupt end.  I wanted to write more, but I want to dedicate the next chapter to Adler, Val, Cavan, Anima, and those in space.  ^_^  Also a bit of stuff on Reyna and Tani!  Maybe some evil baddies too.  Dunno though, maybe Haldir will usher them to cooperate.  Heh!

**Military Ranks:**

**_Space Force/Nationals Space:_**

General, Colonel, Captain, Commander, Lieutenant Commander, Lieutenant, Officer, Cadet

**_Preventers/Nationals Ground Force:_**

General, Colonel, Commander, Major, Captain, Lieutenant, 2nd Lieutenant, Cadet


	7. Arriving to Fight

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Retaliation 

By: Shadow Chaser

**Author's Notes:**

_Chapter 7 – Arriving to Fight_

Adler crept slowly and silently, using his training during his time at the Space Academy to his full advantage.  His gun, still mostly emptied as a week had passed by since he escaped from the battle zone the Space Academy had been embroiled in, was in his hand and he clutched it tightly.  He had received a mysterious email from someone who seemed to use the coded words of Preventer and Space Force, but the message wasn't too clear.  It just said for him to meet the person at the fourth hanger bay of Colony L3-28886, an old Colony, but part of the L3 Cluster.

As he entered the darkened hanger bay, he pointed his gun at different angles, making sure to cover his back.  He didn't really know the details of what happened to lead to the attempted arrest of Neo, himself, and his father, but he was sure it had something to do with things happening in Geneva, where the Unified Nations and Colonies met.

Adler decided against backing against the hanger wall, he wanted freedom of movement and shimmying along the wall wasn't ideal.  He stepped out slowly; noting that the bay was mostly empty, save for a few shuttles that were near the sides.  Anyone can hide in there, he noted to himself – the shuttles were far from him, and were a slightly good sniping point, but not that good.

Suddenly, he spun as he heard the soft whisper of fabric, but no one was there.  The dim lights of the hanger bay made it hard for him to see, but he squinted…and suddenly recoiled as a leg came straight at him from nowhere.  He ducked underneath the intended kick and retaliated in the dim light with a swipe.  An 'oomph' of air being forced out greeted him and Adler was satisfied that he had hit something.  He prepared another strike in the same direction when a voice spoke up.

"Good, at least your skills haven't dulled," a voice said, one he recognized came from the general direction he had attacked.

"Hawk?" he hazarded a guess.

His mother, Azure Williams, or Hawk as that was her codename, stepped forward, and Adler narrowed his eyes, wary for anything his mother was going to do.  He noted with faint interest that her shoulder length blonde hair was a bit matted and straggly, but her bright green eyes were burning with a fire he hadn't seen before.  Even in her mid-forties, she could pass for a late twenties woman, and that's what made many underestimate her.

"Hello Adler, it's been a while," she greeted, folding her arms around the flightsuit she was wearing.  Adler noted that she held a gun and was hanging by her fingertips.  "I see that you received my message."

"How do you know Preventer and Space Force codes?" Adler asked, as he began to relax a little.  He still kept an eye out for anything suspicious, but knowing that his mother was here gave him some measure of comfort, how ever miniscule.

Hawk laughed lightly, but it was loud in the semi-empty hanger bay, "You forget, I am a Preventer agent."

"A what?  When?!" he was shocked.  When did his mother join Preventers?  Was it after their war with Locke Dabnerba and the Omicron Empire?

"Go figure it out," was his mother's reply before she gestured for him to follow, "I was on an assignment before this whole fiasco broke out – don't worry, there's a safe house near here and the people of this Colony don't really bother with the politics of Earth."

Adler, seeing that he had no other choice, followed his mother out of the hanger bay.  "So what happened?"

"Apparently, this Senator from L1 was planning a political coup before Locke even showed up.  I was sent to L3 to check if it was a repeat of the Barton Foundation's attempt to take over the Earth, but then we agents got the call that just a week ago, the Senator from L1, I think his name was Hallsfield or something like that, made his move and deposed of Mariemaia Khushrenada and her supporters.

"He then denounced that the Gundam pilots, Preventers, Space Force, Winner Corporation, and Sweepers were all part of an elaborate coup that was taking place over many years.  Unfortunately, he was able to snag both Winner Corp and the Space Force just as they were discussing disarmament negotiations at the Academy," Hawk led him to a lift that headed towards the metro-area of the colony and pressed a button to summon the lift.  Seconds later a lift arrived and they both stepped in.

"So we got the call that a presidential order had been placed by Hallsfield to arrest all people associated with any of the groups I mentioned.  You, your father, and Neo Winner happened to be caught on the bad side of things," she continued.

"Hnn, tell me about it," Adler commented as he remembered the sudden betrayal of Lieutenant Peirno, but was thankful that Neo was able to stop the psychotic Lieutenant before he could kill any of them.  "So what happened on Earth-side?"

"Sweepers headquarters was blown up," Hawk stated flatly and Adler's eyes widened in surprise.

"No…Sweepers…" he was shocked, "who…did it?"  In his mind's eye he could imagine seeing flames consuming the Parisian building…it was Reyna Maxwell's home and everything in it…

"Reyna Maxwell and her family, along with Commander Yuy and Val weren't hurt in the blast if you were wondering.  My sources still don't know who did it, but I can guess Hallsfield had a huge hand in it.  However, from what I could gather, they were confronted by Severn Cawley-"

"Shit, I thought they killed him back during the GNN confrontation-"

"No, he lived, but Severn captured Duo and Hilde Maxwell and also Commander Yuy.  Apparently Val and Reyna escaped," Hawk replied, "Cavan Merquise also escaped, but his father and mother were captured-"

"What about Quatre Winner?" Adler hoped that the head of Winner Corporations was all right.  He hated to see Neo's expression if she found out that her father had been captured by the enemy forces.

Hawk shook her head and Adler's hopes were dashed, "Unfortunately, he didn't resist and was taken into custody along with his whole family.  Colony L4 is under martial law with the opponents of Winner Corp. heading the leadership of the Colony as we speak."

"Wufei Chang?" Adler knew that his father had escaped, but he if he was the only Gundam pilot to escape…besides he didn't know where his father would have headed, but he knew that he would lay low for a while.

"I think like other Preventer agents in the field, he's laying low like me.  I'm assuming Sally Po is too, though I'm not too sure at the moment," Hawk shrugged, "that's the story so far."

Adler nodded as the lift stopped and they stepped out into the metro-area.  He looked around, noticing that the big television screens on the sides of the buildings were broadcasting the news, not too many people paid attention to it.  Adler suddenly froze as he saw his face, a picture taken when he had become a junior instructor for the Space Academy, on the news, along with his friends.  He saw Neo's face appear next to his and felt slight pang of worry in him – he hoped she had made it to Earth, to the Maganac bases, and was staying safe.

But as he saw the pictures of his three other fellow Gundam pilots appear, he realized that Hawk had set him up!  It was a trap!  Bowing his head slightly, he looked around, hoping that no one took notice of him.  _Damn, how stupid am I?  I shouldn't have trusted her…he thought darkly as he prepared to run._

Suddenly, Hawk's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist in a pincher grip.  Adler winced slightly in pain – he never knew how strong his mother was until now.  He struggled slightly, trying to get out of the grip she held him in when she turned and whispered sharply to him.

"They won't bother you.  This is your home Colony Adler.  Do you think so little of your community?  L3 is your home Cluster and that of your father's.  They know what oppression and propaganda is during the Barton Foundation's occupation of the L3 area, especially 28886's neighbor, 18999.  They respect your father for becoming and Gundam pilot and helping them free themselves from both White Fang and Barton control."

"They'll recognize me," he said flatly.

"Of course," Hawk scoffed, "Have you been following the politics of Earth lately?  No?  Then you will know that Relena Peacecraft-Yuy has been working with the citizens of L3 since their occupation by the Barton Foundation.  She's been advocating their freedom for a long time in Geneva and they respect her for that.  Why do you think your father left on frequent trips, leaving you in my care?  He was trying to help L3!"

Adler was silent.  He didn't really know why he was abandoned with his mother and never knew why his father never took him after he was born.  Now he knew…and he felt ashamed.  As Hawk released her grip, he glared at her for a second before massaging his wrist to get the circulation flowing again.  He looked around and noticed that many of the people were staring at him in a curious way, but they then seemed to acknowledge that he was here, but didn't do anything to alert any authorities or anyone.

It made him feel weird to say the least.  If what his mother said was true, then he had nothing to fear, but, still, it made him uneasy.

As Hawk continued walk along the semi-crowded side walk of the metro area, he followed, but kept a sharp eye on things.  He would bolt the second authority figures arrived on the scene.

"Do you know why L4's under martial law?"

"No," he replied neutrally.

"It's because the people, as a whole Colony Cluster, tried to protect Quatre Winner and his family – his whole family including his sisters," she said softly, "and that is why L3 is also going to be put under martial law.  Those bastards that ousted President Khushrenada, knows of the efforts Foreign Minister Peacecraft-Yuy and your father have been trying to achieve for L3.  They know that if you or your father escaped their clutches, one of you would head to L3 to hide out and so they decided to send in the military, their newly formed military-

"What newly formed military?"

"National Army, or Nationals, at least that's what I've been hearing on the news," Hawk shrugged, "but anyways, they know that the L3 citizens would shield you and your father or even if Relena Peacecraft-Yuy herself came here."

"When do they arrive?" he asked.

"In a few days.  They're recruiting right now," she replied.

"Then what about L4?  How did they…"

"They sent Xylon Riyet, apparently, since he knows of the Colony's layout and weak points and plus he had occupied it before during Locke's war a few months back," Hawk stated flatly and Adler frowned.

He remembered the psycho bastard who had turned Neo into an organic machine.  God how much he hated that bastard and wanted so badly to squeeze the life out of him.  He knew that he should be shocked by the fact that Xylon had survived, but all he felt was anger.  If Xylon was alive, then Neo would have to be warned…

"So now what?" he asked, as Hawk led him to a building that was squashed in between two skyscrapers.  It was an apartment complex that seemed well off and he followed her inside.

"You finally ask, took you long enough," his mother shot back a bit sarcastically, "we fight."

She opened a door to a room and Adler stepped through…and was promptly floored by what he saw.  It was a sophisticated communications relay station, with the satellite images and data flowing in front all different points of the LaGrange points and even from Earth and Lunar Colony.  There was no one inside and he noticed that there were four attaching rooms, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen.

"In few days, L3 will be overrun by mobile suits from the Nationals-"

"I get it," he understood what he was going to do.  If he didn't want his home Colony to fall under martial law, then he would fight to defend it, and possibly start a resistance against the unlawful new government.

"Good," his mother smiled a bit predatorily, "we give them hell."

                                    *                      *                      *

Val stepped tentatively off from the shuttle he had hijacked from L1, his father's home Colony cluster.  He looked around the decrepit ruins of what was once L5 Colony Cluster.  Part of the former Colony had been repaired to house a base for Space Force, but they abandoned it after it became apparent that nothing occurred here, which was also why it was an ideal place for the Gundam pilots to hide.

After he had dumped Reyna into the waters of the Seine to save her, he had fought his way to the shuttle bays and took shuttle to Nairobi base.  It hadn't been easy getting in and he had to resort to shooting his way in as the base had been overrun by enemy forces.  He had made his way down towards where he kept his Gundam Falcon Zero hidden, but had found that it was gone, as was his cousin's Scorpion.  He had deducted that his cousin was able to get away and probably take his Gundam along – using slave controls.

Even though he hated the idea of his cousin slaving Falcon Zero to Scorpion, as Falcon Zero was _his Gundam after all, he was slightly grateful that he didn't let it fall to enemy hands – at least that's what he hoped._

He had then escaped from Nairobi on another shuttle and barely made it to L1 where he went underground for a few days, listening to the news and watching everything happened.  The distorted news had shown footage of Gundam Scorpion blasting its way out of Nairobi Base and with Falcon Zero following it and that had confirmed his suspicions.

He had remembered that a long time ago, his Master Wufei had told him that if anything happened then L5 was the meeting point during his space mobile suit training in Preventers.  Maybe Cavan and Master Wufei had gone there, since the news reported that they weren't found anywhere, and so he hijacked a shuttle and flew it towards the L5 Colony Cluster.

A gun rested in his hand and he could hear his own steady breathing in the space helmet he wore.  He felt light in lieu of the almost non-existent gravity that was in the hanger bay he was in.

"So what took you," the deep drawling voice of his cousin made his straighten and stare as Cavan walked towards him, dressed in the black-red of Preventer flight suits.  He also wore a helmet that was decorated with his own emblem, a black scorpion, and a grim smile was on his face.

"Trouble in Paris," Val shrugged, holstering his gun, "you might have heard something about it?"

"Yeah," Cavan replied neutrally and for once, Val was mildly surprised that his cousin hadn't baited him for a fight yet.  There was something different about Cavan, something that had him mature (at least in Val's opinion), since a week passed from the start of this whole disaster.

"Come on," Cavan gestured for him to follow, "I got Falcon Zero and Master Wufei and Captain Barton are here too."  He led the way towards the inner locks of the partially rebuilt Colony-base and once they were in the lift to take them down to where they were going, Cavan pulled off his helmet and indicated that Val should do the same.

Val took his helmet off and breathed in the recycled air.  It smelled stale, but it was at least oxygen.  "So where are the others?" he asked, leaning against one of the walls of the lift.

"Neo Winner and Adler Barton managed to escape when Space Academy was taken over.  I assume Reyna is all right?"

"Yes," Val replied neutrally.  He knew that his cousin liked Reyna.

"Everyone else has been captured and placed in prison.  Have you been watching the news lately?" Cavan continued and Val shrugged.

"Sort of.  Kind of hard when you're on the run," he replied a bit sarcastically.

"Then you know that they've put L4 and L3 under martial law, right?" his cousin asked.

"How? I thought the legislation wouldn't allow martial law for Colonies," he was puzzled.  Even though he never really listened to his mother and since his father and mother were legally separated, he still paid attention to the politics as it intrigued him.

"Daemon Hallsfield, the one pulling all the strings to arrest everyone and sent Cawley and his goons to you guys in Paris, passed an act that allowed martial law to be implemented in emergency crisis or revolution.  It's called the Militarization Act.  There are more details, but that's the general idea.  Since L4 is the Winner Colony, that's the first place he wanted it to be suppressed," Cavan explained, "L3 because of your mother's work."

"Hnn," Val grunted slightly as he understood what was happening.  He didn't know the specific details of his mother's work, but he did know that she advocated the freedom of the L3 citizens, ever since Mariemaia Khushrenada and the Barton Foundation sprung out from L3 Colony cluster.  After that brief war, L3 had been violently suppressed and all the citizens were left to suffer greatly as mistrust spread from the other Colonies towards L3.

The lift stopped and Cavan walked out first, followed by Val.  He stepped into a control room with holographic projections and monitoring boards.  As he followed behind Cavan, he noticed both Master Wufei and Trowa Barton looking up and promptly stopped, giving them a salute to which they returned.

"Glad that you could make it Val," Wufei greeted neutrally, "we got-"

"Val?  Val Yuy?!" a female voice interrupted Wufei from one of the consoles and Val turned to see a girl about his age with dark brown hair and light purple eyes.  Her face was one of shock, but Val could identify her anywhere…

As she launched herself from her seat and into his arms, Val awkwardly hugged her.  He was shocked…his childhood friend…he hadn't seen her since…  "Anima…" he whispered, "Anima Ryoji…"

                                    *                      *                      *

Daemon Hallsfield was happy.  No, he was more than happy, he was elated beyond joy.  Everything was going according to plan and though he still had those pesky Gundam pilots' children to deal with, he knew that he had driven them to hiding like rats.  It was going to be hard to ferret them out, but he was confident that his soldiers would get the job done.

No, he was happy for another reason.  His Militarization Act had passed without a single vote against it.  Attached to the bill had been a declaration that he was the new President of the Earth Sphere, no, not the Earth Sphere anymore – it was now the New Unified Nations.

He had four of the six Gundam pilots in his clutches, and especially with L4's Quatre Raberba Winner, it would prove to be some interesting bargaining with the L4 Cluster.  But so far, Xylon said that he had everything under control so there wasn't any worry.  Plus he had Relena Peacecraft-Yuy in his grasp.

He knew that she wouldn't be easy to manipulate, but he'll let a few idle threats stew in her mind before disposing of her.  She was too powerful for her own good and too powerful to be kept alive for such a long time.  No, she would serve his purpose then be executed, quietly of course.

Everything was going according to his plans…

"Miletus," he suddenly called from his couch in the huge spacious Presidential mansion.

"Yes milord," his servant approached and Daemon snapped his fingers.

"Summon my wife.  I wish to dine with her this evening," he ordered and waved him away.

"As you wish milord," Miletus replied before leaving with a small bow.

Daemon stared into the fire that was burning in his fireplace, even though it was summer, and smiled.  Everything was good…

                                    *                      *                      *

**Author's Notes:**

            Yes, yes, tension, peeps, sex, drugs, and rock and roll (heh…no, it's not Hathor…).  Just kidding.  I hoped you like the current chapter.  I think it's going to be turning into a soap opera or something like that, especially with Anima thrown into the picture.  Wahahah!  Okay, next chapter will have Rey in it and more Val stuff.  ^_^  Enjoy!


	8. Taking Under His Wing

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Retaliation 

By: Shadow Chaser

**Author's Notes:**

            I see Julian Kaspari as a semi-Remy LeBeau (Gambit) type of figure.  Except he's not Cajun and has a bare hint of a Creole accent.  He's only in that context, a Gambit-esque person.  He's also a mix of Vash the Stampede and Spike Spiegel.  Keep that in mind.  ^_^  Also, Sephy originally created the character of Julian, so please, thank her, not me.  I think with this intro chapter of him, you'll like him. ^_^  I only try to fit into context what I think her character should act and be like.  **ALSO NOTE:**  I am changing Akane Yuy's name to Anihiko Yuy (Val's dead brother).  It's for the reason because Akane reminds me too much of Ranma ½.  Please email or put it in your reviews me if you think this change is good or bad.  **_I will use Anihiko to denote Val's brother's name in this chapter._  If I get enough responses to change back to Akane, then I will.**

_Chapter 8 – Taking Under His Wing_

He watched her from afar, as always, watching her interact with others with the professional easy of a business woman in negotiations.  She was very animated when talking about armament shipments or getting into money and such things, yet calm, poised and in control of everything.  He had been watching her closely for a week since the accident at Sweepers Corporation and had to give Duo Maxwell credit, he sure did train his only daughter, only child now, to be a professional at negotiations.

He had been tailing and watching Reyna Maxwell for a week now, watching as she avoided the bars where the Nationals frequented and talked with shady dealers who had no idea that she was the daughter of the legendary Duo Maxwell.  He admit that her disguise, by cutting her brown hair down to shoulder length and adopting a set of different clothing, was effective, but there was only so far one could take with such a simplistic disguise.

And now, he knew that the gig was up.  The people whom Reyna had been dealing with were bad business; he knew that as he had seen the hanging around the bars talking with Nationals soldiers.  Reyna was giving them information that they would be able to pass on as spies for money, and she seemed oblivious to it.  As he let out a small cloud of smoke from the cigarette stuck in the corner of his mouth, he gave a small sigh.  He was comfortable in his little booth across from where Reyna was in deep discussion with one of the two people she sat in the booth with.  He didn't really want to move…but he knew that he had an obligation…

He watched as she stirred her drink, which thankfully wasn't alcoholic. At least she had the sense not to order anything alcoholic from this bar, especially since it was in the sleazy slums of Paris.  Suddenly she looked straight at him and he blinked.  Whoa…that was something new…  Did she realize that he had been tailing her the whole time?  Or was it a new game the two others at her table were playing…

Letting a slow smile creep across his face, he watched as she stared at him for a few more seconds before returning her gaze back to the two others at her booth.  Moments later, the three of them got up, with the Tall One of the two dumping some change onto the table and all three of them walked out, still talking.

He frowned as he took the cig from his mouth and smashed it against the table.  Now this was something new…  He let loose a cloud of smoke before getting up with the ease of a lazy cat stretching and walked slowly out.  For Julian Kaspari, he knew that whenever things didn't go the norm, then trouble was on the way.  And with Reyna Maxwell involved, trouble and hell went hand in hand.

                                    *                      *                      *

Reyna had been in a good conversation about negotiating some illegal stockpile of weapons for her own war against the Nationals and Daemon Hallsfield, moreover, against Severn Cawley and those that had destroyed her family.  It was a week since that fateful night, that fateful birthday.  Though technically, she was now 17, she sure as hell didn't feel like it.  No, she felt like in her twenties or something like that and that's how she acted.

But when David one of the two people she had been talking with, told her that someone had been staring at her ever since they sat down and discussed about trading weapons, she had straightened and given the man a good look.  Her eyes raked over his and noted that he was a bit scraggly looking.  He wore a dull black duster and though he wore no hat, in the dim light of the bar she was in, she could see that he had shaggy brown hair and bright hazel eyes.  They were staring at her with mild interest and she returned the stare before looking back at David and his partner.

"Let's get out of here.  He might be a spy for the Nationals," she gestured for them to follow her and got up.  They followed suit and she waited as David's partner dropped a few bills and coins onto the table to cover for their drinks before they headed out into the mild Parisian night.

Ever since she had ran from Tani's apartment she had found her Hellfire, safe and sound, and started her own war of attrition against the occupying military forces in Paris.  But now she needed to refuel and restock the weapons on her Gundam and using a few underground accounts that her father had always kept and told her about, she been ferreting money all around to pay for mobile suit grade bullets and a few energy packs to help increase the capacity of her beam scythe.  She also needed Gundanium material to repair her Gundam after a week's skirmish.

She would have escaped to space to find Howard and MO-VII, except from the scattering of news bits she got her hands on indicated that Howard had been taken into custody at the Lunar Colony prison and MO-VII was under the Nationals' control.  She didn't really know where else to escape to – the Space Academy was under Nationals control, her father's home Colony L2 had barricaded themselves and all Sweepers activity was in the process of being shut down over there.  L4 was under heavy military guard and martial law declared there.  L3 was probably going to face the same thing.  L1…who knew as they considered themselves the elite Colony, tending to side with whatever changing government there was in fear of retaliation.  L5 was completely destroyed and there was no where to hide out over there.

That left only Earth and the secret passages of Paris.  She would have gone to London, except she avoided the city as much as possible.  It was silly, but she didn't want to face her past there.  It was where she and Tarrant had grown up in their younger days – an extension of the Paris Sweeper Base.  And so she kept to Paris.  She decided that when she accumulated enough weaponry and resources, she would attack wherever they held her father, mother, and Commander Yuy and free them herself.

She hadn't dare try to contact anyone for the fear of her signals being picked up and traced back to where she was, but she still held out hope, especially for Val.  From the tidbit news she got, she noticed that they hadn't captured any of the second generation Gundam pilots, which meant that Val was safe.  Her anger against Val had died since she had run away from Tani's apartment, and she had come to realize that he was trying to save her, even though he didn't know that she feared the water.

Even now she wore the huge Ankh symbol Val gave her for her birthday, inside of her clothes (which consisted of black, black and more black), and though the huge thing sometimes irritated her, it was her symbol of her love towards Val.  He had said that it was symbolic of life eternal, and her love for him was her life eternal.  Her love for Tarrant was life eternal.  Her love for her parents and for her friends was life eternal.  It was the thing that kept her going, the reason why she had to fight against this new corrupt government.

"There's another pub down a few blocks.  We can talk there.  I'll have my men watch for that creep-"

"Wait a sec," Reyna stopped, and spun around, facing the two men, "you never told me that you had other men watching this place.  Just what the hell are you trying to pull here?!"  She had specifically stated to them that there was no other who would watch them…she didn't want possible spies of the Nationals creeping up on her.

"Miss Reyna, that creep could be a National.  What the hell do you think-"

"I never told you my name.  How do you know I'm Reyna?" Reyna started to back up warily, watching the two men dangerously.  She reached behind her for her gun-

And froze as a large hand clamped down on hers.  Another one snaked around her neck and grabbed her mouth and she struggled and tried to bite the hand, but it held her close and fast to a warm body.  She could feel her heart racing as she watched as both David and his partner leer at her and the dim flash of knives appeared in their hand and her eyes widened with fear.

They were going to rape her…she knew it!  They weren't here to discuss armament deals…they were Nationals!  She was going to be captured and taken to Severn or Hallsfield…No!  She struggled violently, trying to use every single tactic Master Wufei and Val had taught her for the past few months.  She had to get away!  But the harder she struggled, the more the grip on her became painful and she screamed, but her screams were muffled.  _Help me…someone help me! She pleaded with whatever gods existed on this planet._

"Hey Roger, hold her down!  Do you think Mr. Severn would mind if she's a bit spoiled?" David leered at her and she shook her head violently, trying to loosen the grip that 'Roger' had on her.

"No, I don't think so at all," David's partner replied and as they approached closer, Reyna closed her eyes…she didn't want to see it…she didn't want to feel it…she didn't want to be here!  _Val…Val…she prayed silently, _where are you?!__

"If there's one thing I hate, it's seeing a girl get raped," a new voice suddenly spoke up and Reyna opened her eyes to see the man in the black duster standing a bit behind David and his partner.

"What?!" David spun around as did his partner, "who the hell are you?!"

"No one you need to know," the man in the black duster replied before even with the speed to rival Commander Yuy's draw technique, the echo of two bullets resounded in the alleyway.  Moments later, Reyna watched, eyes wide, as David and his partner fell to the ground, dead.

She watched as the man then pointed his piece at 'Roger' who was holding her.  "Release her," he demanded in a simple but cold voice.  The tone reminded her of Commander Yuy in a very bad mood.

"No way.  If you want her that badly, you'll have to face me," the pressure to Reyna's mouth was freed and Reyna shook her head a few times before she narrowed eyes.

"Wrong move buddy," she growled at Roger before she spun around and kicked the man in the groin.  He dropped the knife he had been holding and crumpled to the ground, but Reyna wasn't finished as she jackknifed a kick to his neck.  She heard the resounding crack of the man's neck being broken before she stepped back.  Her breaths were heavy and she could feel adrenaline rushing through her.  She knew that she had just killed a man but she didn't care.  He was going to hurt her…

"Nice skills," the man in the black duster commented behind her and she spun around, her arms up in a defensive posture.

"Who the hell are you?  Are you a National?" she was wary of her…rescuer…and didn't trust him.

"Hey, hey," he held his hands up a friendly gesture, the gun hanging limply from his fingers, but Reyna noted that even with the supposed limp stance, he seemed like the one to fire it at a moment's notice, "take it easy.  I'm on your side…"

"Just what side is that?" she growled.

"Geez…you sure have lived up to your nickname, Spitfire," he replied, shaking his head as a rueful grin appeared and he holstered his gun.

"How do you know that?" she backed up slightly.

"Oui…rule one and lesson one, never pick up on the fact that the enemy might mention your name.  I figure Wufei Chang or your knucklehead boyfriend Val would teach you that," he replied.

"Wufei who?" Reyna frowned.

"Good, you're learning quickly," the man grinned and Reyna began to feel that she could trust the man and lowered her arms.

"Lesson two: don't assume that when someone is talking to you like I am that they could be your ally," suddenly his gun was drawn out and Reyna blinked.  The draw was so fast!

"Lesson three: Trust yourself, trust your instincts, trust those that you care for and most of all trust me," the man smiled again and holstered his gun.  Now Reyna was flustered and began to get angry.

"Who the hell-"

"Lesson four: Don't get angry unless it's something that you need to get angry over with," the man sounded like he was patronizing her which infuriated Reyna.  She started to stomp over to the man when he held up a hand to stop her.

"Okay Spitfire, I understand that you're probably pissed at me, but hear me out.  I'm a friend of sorts.  And no I'm not telling you from where.  We all have our secrets and you keep yours while I keep mine.  All I'm doing is offering you a proposal," the man bowed slightly and mockingly.

"And that is…?" Reyna stared moodily at him.

"A chance to kick some serious Nationals ass and maybe save your parents in the meantime," the man offered with an outstretched hand.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Good, good, you're a quick learner.  Why should you trust me?  Good question," the man was beginning to get on Reyna's nerves again.  She was really irritated by his mocking voice, it sounded almost like Cavan's at times.  "Well, Spitfire, I think you should trust me because, hey, I'm the only one that can get you the resources you need for Hellfire."

"And how would you do that?" she raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms together, skeptical.

"Simple," the man spread his arms out theatrically, "I've been tailing you for this past week, since you ran out from your friend Tani Walker's apartment.  You left her quite distraught, by the way, but she understands."

Reyna frowned and shrugged, "I don't know who the hell you're talking about."

"Yes you do.  You had stashed Hellfire in an underground water base along the banks of the Seine, but you moved it quite recently to a storage facility that's half shelled out from the recent attacks," the man explained and Reyna couldn't let the blatant shock appear on her face.

He had been watching her…this closely for the past week?  And she never noticed him or even picked him up on Hellfire's scanners?  Wow…he had to be good, very good…

"There is a stash of weapons and materials you need to repair Hellfire in one of the bases.  I can get it for you, only if you agree to work with me," he offered a hand and Reyna frowned at it.  She didn't really trust him…but if managed to follow and detail her activities for this long, then she had nothing to lose by joining forces with him.  After all, it didn't matter now if he reported her to Severn and his goons – at this rate she was going to have to destroy Hellfire and let herself be captured within a month as supplies were dwindling.

"All right…" she agreed reluctantly as she took the hand and shook it.  She noted that his grip was firm, which said to her that he was a man to be trusted.  Her father had so many negotiations and taught her the differences in handshakes to tell if the person was going to be truthful and honest or was just someone shady.  "But touch me and you die," she warned.

"Do you even think I would touch you?  No, I think your boyfriend and your dad would probably kill me," the man seemed appalled and Reyna could feel the creep of a smile appear on her lips.  His antics were amusing, she had to admit and in ways, he reminded her of a mix of her father and Tarrant, but with the cold-blooded killer sense of Commander Yuy and Colonel Merquise.  She also heard hints of what sounded to her like a Creole accent…which made her wonder if the man was from the Southern part of America.

"All right, now that that's settled," the man grinned at her, "let's go get some doughnuts!"

"What?!" Reyna was floored.

"Doughnuts, you know, round things with holes in the middle?  They're pretty good.  I don't take to Parisian pastry, but I like their doughnuts," the man replied and started off.  Reyna sighed and followed, wondering who the hell she had picked up.

"Who are you by the way?" she asked as they walked.

"The name's Julian Kaspari, Reyna Maxwell," he replied.

                                    *                      *                      *

Val Yuy rested against his makeshift bunk that he had been given on the L5 base.  It was nighttime by their standards and though he was able to fall asleep on whim, he couldn't right now.  There was too much on his mind.

He couldn't believe that Anima Ryoji, his childhood friend, was still alive – after what she had lived through in L1…  The last time he had seen her was the day after Anihiko died in the Black Wing Incident.  He had pushed her away as he had withdrawn into his shell, devastated at the death of his brother.  He had thought she had died when her mother, a Preventer agent, moved back to the slums of L1…but here she was, alive, well, and a professional racer like Neo, racing in the same circuit she was at L4.

She was one of the few connections to his past, and one of the few connections to his brother.  She understood him and his brother and though he had pushed her away at the end, he could recognize that she understood his loss…something Reyna didn't really hold onto he considered.

Though he loved Reyna and would die for her, it just wasn't the same when talking about Tarrant and Anihiko with her.  There wasn't that past to back up on, the times of good fortune and fun.  He knew that he shouldn't criticize, but…

Val brought his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them.  Anima was alive…  She had told him that she escaped the martial law that was implemented on L4 and barely made it before Wufei had picked her up and brought her along with him to L5.  She had heard the news about his family and was sorry for him.

Surprisingly she hadn't asked about Reyna, or she didn't know, and Val intended to keep it that way for now.  He knew how sensitive she got…  He sighed…even though he was striving for being like his father, the 'Perfect Soldier', he sometimes felt so frustrated.

His whole life was thrown upside down when Sweeper Headquarters was bombed…  He was now a wanted fugitive, a Gundam pilot with the whole world against him.  He didn't really know what to do except fight back.  On sudden impulse, he reached over his desk where his gun, well, Reyna's gun as he had taken it from her before he pushed her into the Seine, was and took his wallet.

Flipping it open he stared at the four pictures he had in it.  He wasn't really a materialist and these were the only pictures he kept with him.  One was his family, an old picture as his brother was in it, smiling happily, carrying their baby sister in his arms.  Even his father was smiling, holding Relena in his arms.  Val let a small smile creep up onto his face.  He never liked his mother, but respected her…

Turning to the next picture, it was taken during a break in their war against Locke, before Tarrant Maxwell died.  He remembered a few months ago that Howard decided to get an impromptu photo of them together and even though they hadn't really split into the couples they were now, they all decided to pose together.  Neo and Reyna were grinning like idiots in the picture with Tarrant making bunny-ears in the back of his sister's head.  Adler was just smiling at the antics and Val frowned at himself.  From that picture, he looked like the grim reaper and Cavan unfortunately was glaring at him.  It wasn't the best picture…

Turning it over, he saw the most recent picture of them together.  It was at the ball and this time it was with their families all squashed into the picture.  Now the couples were defined and Val could definitely see that though his parents had danced during the celebration, their relationship was already strained.

The last picture was of him and Reyna at the celebration ball.  Apparently Neo had gotten the idea of being paparazzi for the night and was snapping photos away, whenever she wasn't with Adler, and thereby took a photo of him and Reyna together.  Well, he had gotten his revenge on her by snapping an impromptu photo of her and Adler kissing – which made her so embarrassed that he still grinned at the thought.

Flipping close his wallet, Val set it back on his desk, really a crate of supplies, and leaned against the cold metal wall of his quarters.  They were now at war again…and he knew that if he wanted those photos and happy days to be repeated again, he would have to fight.

"With Falcon Zero as my ally, I will fight…" he whispered to himself as he closed his eyes to rest.

                                    *                      *                      *

**Author's Notes:**

            Like it?  I like Julian a lot.  The doughnut factor is from Vash (obviously).  ^_^  I had to put some silly stuff in there otherwise it be too serious.  But speaking of seriousness, this story does have some relevance to the world politics right now.  Think of a relationship between President Bush, the War in Iraq, and what other countries think of us…yep, go stew that in your mind and apply it to Retaliation.  Also, think of different stuff that's been happening in history and they all apply to Retaliation. ^_^  Oh yeah, next chapter: Heero's thoughts, Neo's training, and the beginnings of the war of attrition for both the G-pilots and Nationals.  Enjoy!


	9. Interrogations

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Retaliation 

By: Shadow Chaser

**Author's Notes:**

            I've been re-reading over the previous chapters of Retaliation and I noticed that I'm taking a darker turn with this story.  Just want to warn you readers out there, a major character from the original series will die in this story.  I won't tell who though.  Oh yeah, and if you think it could be one that's mentioned in this chapter, the character's already mentioned in the other chapters.  ^_^

_Chapter 9 – Interrogations_

Heero Yuy sat in his cell in grim silence.  It was over a week since he, Duo, and Hilde had been taken into custody by Severn Cawley and his men and placed under arrest for sedition and treason against the government – all which were untrue, but tell that to Daemon Hallsfield.  He had heard of the ambitious Senator from L1 who represented both the L1 Colony Cluster and the Northern European sector of the Unified Earth and Colonies, from his wife long before they were separated.

From what he researched and what Relena told him of Hallsfield, he was ambitious, conniving, and a true businessman.  He knew of the bad blood between him and Quatre, the former resented the Winner Corporation's monopoly on the mining and distribution of iridium alloy, gundanium, and other precious metals.  Hallsfield also hated the fact that the Gundam pilots were adored by the people of the Colonies and Earth itself – which made Heero wonder about the coup he had taken upon himself to do.

He knew from personal experience that the Colonies and some people of Earth will resist Hallsfield's intrusion and accusation that Preventers, Space Force, Sweeper and especially Winner Corp. would be liable to take over the Earth Sphere, but Hallsfield had played his hand at the most opportune moment.  Even though it was just months after Locke's defeat and death, the Colonies were still reeling from her takeover and wanted a strong leader – and Hallsfield had apparently saw that it was his chance.

Politics were never Heero's strong suit, he left that to Relena, but he knew some things like the fact that if a majority of the people had their attention focused on one thing, they wouldn't even be able to see the background dealings.  It was the same thing over and over again, which was why the Barton Foundation was able to execute Operation Meteor and why the White Fang was initially successful, but from all those times, he and his friends were able to deflect that views of the Colonies and Earth to focus on the problem at hand.

A "mob effect" he had heard Relena and Mariemaia use the term more than once in their speeches and in their discussions.  Now with Hallsfield gaining control of the "mob", by ruthlessly suppressing dissent and engaging martial law in places where the most sympathy for the Gundam pilots would be generated, he was using his propaganda machine to the fullest.

He glanced towards Quatre who was sitting quietly in a chair, staring at nothing.  From his vantage point, the former pilot of the Sandrock and his friend looked old.  Hell they all were old, but it seemed that this turn of events hit him the hardest.  Granted Quatre was the youngest of the five Gundam pilots of Operation Meteor, but right now, age seemed to catch up to him.  He noted that since the past war with Locke, the head of Winner Corp. had begun to whiten at the temples and wrinkles lined his forehead.  Even though they were the same age, 44, Quatre seemed older and more burdened.

His family business was now under heavy investigations, but at least he still had remnants to pick up on, whereas Heero couldn't really say the same for his best friend Duo.

Turning his gaze to the American scavenger, he inwardly winced in sympathy.  Duo had seen his company go up in literal flames – when someone deliberately bombed the Parisian headquarters, destroying almost everything.

Hallsfield put the blame on Winner Corp. for forcing Sweeper to take shipment and sabotaging their headquarters and then reversed it so that Sweeper Group and Winner Corp. were in a conspiracy together to get insurance money to fund their future coup against the government.  The problem with that logic, in Heero's opinion, was the motive.  Hallsfield never came out with a clear motive.

Right now the good Senator, no President now, was pointing fingers at anyone who spoke against him, saying that they were part of the conspiracy and those that spoke out against him in the Senate were immediately placed under arrest and confined – at least that's what he deducted through the TV broadcasts that he had been watching since they placed him and Duo in these cells.

His hand where Severn had shot it, still hurt, but he didn't really care anymore.  He let the soldier inside of him deal with the pain, and dealing with it, he suppressed anything that would make him weak.  He was caught now, and his instinct was to survive…

Suddenly the loud echo of booted feet sounded harshly in the mostly quiet of the cells.  As far as he could guess they were the only ones in this military prison block and so the booted feet meant either two things: one was that either Trowa or Wufei had been capture or their children had been captured, or two, they were coming for them – possibly for interrogation.  Either that, by a long shot, someone assassinated Hallsfield and restored order to the Earth Sphere.

Fat chance though, he thought mostly to himself, especially if Severn Cawley had anything to do about it.  He knew that Hallsfield had his own contingent of guards at his beck and call; he had seen them when Zechs invited the Senator over for a ball at the Sank Kingdom a few years back.  Hallsfield came in with his contingent of well dressed and groomed bodyguards – looking very much like a President of a foreign nation or something of that nature.

Heero didn't move from his bed except only to look up at the opening of the door when four heavily armed guards came in, followed by a person that was all too familiar to him.  Sean Johnston was Hallsfield's aide, but a damn sneaky person of his own right.  He had heard rumors and looked through Preventer files on the early forties guy and found that most of his stuff was classified Black Ops and intelligence only answerable to Hallsfield's committee, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.  This was where the regulations on trade and commerce were, but even though Hallsfield controlled the committee that decided what minerals were shipped and such, it was mostly Winner Corp. that had the right to set pricings and ship everything – which led to the political battles.

Johnston was dressed in an immaculate beige business suit and his light brown hair was a bit ruffled, but he looked like a stylish businessman, not a Black Ops officer.  He and Johnston crossed paths more than once in their careers, as the man was the Senate liaison to Preventer – and through those many times, they had managed to get each other riled up, which wasn't an easy thing considering he himself didn't get riled up so easily.

The four soldiers fanned out to each of their cells and Heero just glared pointedly at the one who was holding a gun to him, standing a bit clear of the electrified bars surrounding his cell.  Johnston swaggered towards Duo's cell and Heero watched, mildly interested.  He caught Quatre's gaze and saw the younger man shrug an 'I don't know'.

"Ah…Duo Maxwell," Johnston drawled a bit lazily as he stopped in front of Duo's cell.

                                    *                      *                      *

Duo raised an eyebrow at the patronizing tone.  He wasn't familiar with the man in front of him trussed up in a business suit, but he had seen the man a few times in the Senate when he went there on rare occasion.  He recalled someone pointing out to him that the man in front of him was one named Sean Johnston or something like that.

He leaned back, tilting the plastic and metal chair he was sitting on so that the back leaned against the cold concrete wall.  Lacing his hands around the back of his head, he gave the man a predatory grin.  "Come to see an old man in his cell?" he asked sarcastically.

"Of course," Johnston replied, "I just wanted to thank all of you for letting the good Senator Hallsfield get his chance to voice his opinions to the Senate and Earth Sphere."

"Oh…sure, glad that we could be of help," Duo threw back.

"Now if you would be so kind, Maxwell, Senator Hallsfield wishes to see you," Johnston said then held up a finger, "uh-uh.  Make any sudden moves to escape and there'll be more breathing holes for your friends here."

He keyed the door to hiss open and Duo dropped his chair back onto the ground with a loud thump, and gave an evil smile at the guard who had been holding his sub-machine gun on him.  "Just me?  No committee or any prestigious body, not even Quatre, Heero, and sorry Zechs if you're awake, Zechs?" he asked as he stood up lazily and stretched.  He wondered silently if Johnston would actually shoot Heero and the others, but decided to take a gamble.

"No just you," Johnston smiled sardonically.

"Aww…fine then I'll just make my lazy way out.  Go ahead, shoot them.  I don't really care," beyond Johnston, he could see Heero raise an eyebrow at him and gave him a skeptical look before he shrugged back at him almost imperceptibly.

"Don't give me that crap Maxwell, I know that each of you would actually die before revealing whatever secrets you have, but when I said 'friends' I also meant your wife too.  I forgot to mention that sticking point," Johnston said and Duo froze mid-step.  Years ago back when he still had his Gundam and was fighting a war against the Earth, Romefeller, White Fang, and the Barton Foundation, a comment like that he could have thrown away…but now…

Married with children, one who died just months ago in a war that was needless, he now had an obligation.  He had to protect his wife and his only child, wherever Reyna was.  He looked briefly into Johnston's eyes and saw that man was dead serious in his threat.  He would shoot Heero, Zechs, Quatre and quite possibly his wife Hilde if he provoked him to do so.

Duo sighed softly, "All right, you win this round Johnston," he hated admitting defeat, but he knew that he had to protect his wife at all costs, even though he didn't know where she was.  They had separated them into two vans and since the explosion at Sweeper Headquarters he hadn't seen Hilde.

He walked forward and let himself be led out of the cell block, avoiding Heero's gaze as he knew that his best friend would have the most peculiar expression, he didn't want to see it – truthfully, he was afraid that it was either understanding, pity, or a mixture of both or of something completely different.  He could sense the soldiers that had been pointing their submachine guns surround him in a tight circle and frowned as one of them jammed the nozzle of a gun up the small of his back.

"Hey!  Take it easy.  I told ya, I'm not going to run," he groused as he followed Johnston.  He didn't really recognize the place they were headed towards, but he tried his best to memorize wherever he was going-

"Don't bother," Johnston suddenly said, "don't even think of memorizing your way to see Senator Hallsfield.  It's only to a dead end full of guards who would be more than happy to shoot you on sight."

"So?  Maybe I want to visit him again and could make my way there myself sometime," Duo shot back before the gun at the small of his back poked sharply into him.  "Ow!  Hey…quit that!"

"Hmph," was the only reply he got from Johnston before he led him to wooden double doors embroidered with circular designs and opened it.  As soon as Duo stepped in he was overwhelmed with the spacious room.

The room screamed of money and luxury.  Red draperies with perhaps real gold trim on them decorated high spacious windows.  But Duo couldn't see outside the windows as the draperies covered them – he assumed it was probably night time.  Small couches with mahogany edges surrounded a plush oriental carpet that was placed on wooden floors.  A roaring fireplace made the room's glow brighter even with four hanging chandeliers all over the place.  He guessed that it was probably down south in wherever they had been taken to.  No idiot would set their fireplace unless it was winter, and since it was in early summer in the northern hemisphere, it had to be the beginnings of a cold winter down south.

A striking man sat in one of the two chairs near the fire and Duo could see that the other chair, both separated by what looked like a chess table, was empty.  He stood up as they walked forward and Duo guessed that this had to be Senator Hallsfield.  He never met the man in person and though he saw him on the vid a lot, it just wasn't the same.

He could sense an aura of power coming from the man, and knew that he was dangerous, not so in armament, but in thinking and tactical decisions – this man was a true politician, always plotting and figuring out ways to get by or bend rules to get things he wanted passed in the Senate.  It was similar to the aura Quatre possessed, except the former pilot of Sandrock had more compassion in him and possessed both a fighter's aura and a politician's aura.

"Senator, you requested to see the prisoner?" Johnston asked.

"Yes, yes…guards please leave us.  I think Mr. Maxwell wouldn't do anything rash at the moment," Hallsfield waved the guards away and the gun that was so painfully jammed up the small of his back disappeared.  Duo turned his head slightly to see all four guards except for Johnston leave and close the door behind him.

"Ah, Mr. Maxwell," Duo turned back towards Hallsfield as he approached him, his hand outstretched.  "I am Daemon Hallsfield," he gave his hand in a handshake and Duo stared at it for a second before reluctantly taking it.  He shook Hallsfield's hand and immediately got a sense of what the man was like.  He had taught his daughter that handshakes gave an indication on who the person was, and right now silent alarms were blaring in his head, warning him that Hallsfield was deceitful and couldn't be trusted.  But it was an understatement as Duo shut those alarms off.  _If he turned us traitor, of course he can't be trusted._

"Please, sit down.  I've been meaning to have a chat with you," Hallsfield's voice was oily and smooth – and Duo noted that the man sure knew how to choose his words carefully.

"I think I rather stand, thank you," Duo said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Suit yourself," Hallsfield didn't look the least bit perturbed and instead picked up a glass of wine he had on the chess table and swirled it around. "Wine?  Tea?  Anything to drink Mr. Maxwell?"

"No thanks," Duo replied.  He didn't trust anything the man would give – but then again, if Hallsfield wanted to kill them all, then a slow poison in their food given to them in their cells would do the job.

"Ah, well then to business," Hallsfield set his drink down and began to pace around the fireplace, his white gloved hands clasped behind his back.  He was dressed in a designer suit, grey, and his white streaked brown hair was slicked back.  Duo watched the man pace back and forth, feeling annoyed.

"As you know, I've been putting in so much time to investigate who bombed the Sweeper Headquarters, terribly sorry about that Mr. Maxwell," Hallsfield started and Duo felt his hackles rise, "and I was wondering if you actually did accept shipment from Winner Corporations that morning."

Duo sensed that Hallsfield was baiting him for something and he choose his words carefully, "Sweepers always accepted shipments from Winner Corp.  They mine the minerals and we help them ship it, simple as that."

"Yes, yes, I know that, but did you accept shipment that morning?" Hallsfield prodded.

"Don't all the trading companies do everyday?" he shot back.  He sort of knew where Hallsfield wanted him – he wanted him to say that yes, Sweepers did accept shipment and then probably spin it for his own information – especially what he heard on the vid that was constantly replaying what happened in the Senate hall that day when they were all arrested.

"I'm sure they do," Hallsfield replied and Duo gave him a sardonic smile in return.  "Who do you think would bomb your company's headquarters?"

Duo shrugged, "I don't know…  Maybe you?"

"Ha ha," Hallsfield laughed lightly, a laugh that never reached his cold eyes, "your humor has improved Mr. Maxwell.  Now why would you think that I would destroy Sweeper Headquarters?  I am the head of the Committee of Commerce, Science and Transportation after all.  It wouldn't be in my best interest."

"People's interests change.  Maybe you want to figure out a way to get the money for yourself?" Duo shrugged; he hated politics, he wasn't really good at it.

"Maybe you want the insurance money.  It is after all, a huge Earth and Lunar based corporation and you have a lot invested in it," Hallsfield's comment made Duo blink.

"I don't care for money-"

"I see you have enough to rebuild the Gundams, especially in lieu of your good friend Howard, am I correct?  It was Sweepers that funded the re-construction of the Gundams prior to the war with Locke Dabnerba.  You hid the Gundams on MO-VII-"

"That's not true!" Duo suddenly burst out.  "That's-"

"It's the truth isn't it Mr. Maxwell?  You rebuilt the Gundams _before there was knowledge that Locke Dabnerba had returned!  You never told anyone-"_

"They weren't even completed!  They were only half-"

"So you _were planning on taking over the Earth, weren't you?  You were going to contact your friends, the other Gundam pilots and have them pilot your mobile suits!  You were going to invade Geneva and take over the Senate with your Gundams!  Except no, Locke so happened to come at the time they were almost complete and you knew that your plans for world and colony domination had to be put on hold!"_

Duo felt his jaw drop.  How dare he?!  He felt so manipulated…he felt so…  "You…you…"

"I think that's enough for today.  Sean, please escort Mr. Maxwell back to his cell.  Let him think over his actions," Hallsfield suddenly said, and smiled down at him but Duo didn't care.  His mind was still numb from the shock of it all…Hallsfield twisted his words, the events of Locke and Omicron, to something like this…it just wasn't…feasible…

As Johnston took him by the arm and the four guards came back into the room to escort him, Duo could only think of what happened…and he could only think of his son, Tarrant, who died in the battle against Omicron.

"Oh, Mr. Maxwell," Hallsfield's oily voice barely registered in his mind, "why did you rebuild the Gundams?  Power?  Conquest?"

                                    *                      *                      *

**Author's Notes:**

            Yeah, I said that I was going to write about Neo, but I felt like writing about the G-pilots so nyah!  Next chapter is probably more about the G-pilots and wives.  ^_^  Enjoy!  Hopefully the chapter after that will be about Neo.  ^_^  Heh.


	10. Training to Resist and Fight

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Retaliation 

By: Shadow Chaser

**Author's Notes:**

            Okay, I lied.  This chapter will feature the G-pilots' wives, Adler, and Neo's initial training at the Nationals.  ^_^  I wanna save interrogation for later.  Dude, writing Neo as a she disguised as a he is tough.  Well, think of Neo's infiltration like Corran Horn's (Star Wars) infiltration of the Invids in "I, Jedi".  Eep!

_Chapter 10 – Training to Resist and Fight_

**_Location: Alexandria Base_**

**_Alexandria, Egypt, Earth_**

The physicals were extensive and Neo was glad that she wasn't so out of shape.  As a professional racer in her spare time from working for her father's corporation and going to school, she was required to lift weights and be at the peak of her physical capacity, especially since racing took a lot out on the muscles and stamina.

She couldn't say the same for her roommate, a young man by the name of Ryder Quinn who was originally from London.  Ryder's parents were both military, Space Force officers who immediately signed their support for Hallsfield's change and enrolled their son to train as a National.  Ryder was what Neo called a "bookie", and he seemed more suited for the tactical division of the Nationals, but still, each person who signed up with the Nationals was required to undergo physical training – or PT.

With his once long blonde hair, now cut military short, and metal-wired glasses that sort of magnified his green-hazel eyes, Ryder was flopped out on his bed like a starfish and gasping for air.  Neo herself didn't seem that tired even though they had trained for over 12 hours straight with only a one-hour break.  Her bandages though, were fast peeling from the sweat she had given off during the whole procedure.  It seemed that Hallsfield wanted soldiers to be out in the battlefield quickly.

She had wrapped bandages around her chest to flatten her breasts even though they were small.  It was an added comfort to her, but sometimes it hurt like hell.  Before she even went to register, she had begun to take contraceptives/birth control pills to regulate her period so she didn't have to explain any unnecessary things to the doctor.

Thankfully though, the doctor they assigned to her was none other than Sally Po in disguise.  Turned out that she was the relay for Neo to get her periodic messages back to her Uncle Rashid and Sally happened to be in the area when the whole fiasco happened.  She had told Sally not to reveal to anyone else including the other Gundam pilots who escaped that she was undercover.  She didn't want any of them risking their lives or accidentally expose her in her mission to bring down the Nationals from within.

The sticking issue for her role, as Trent Wynn was usage of the bathroom.  Apparently the Nationals or whoever was the head of the new military group didn't really believe in mass public bathrooms and though they had specifically quartered off males from females, each room had their own bathroom.  Even after a few days of sharing a room with her roommate as a male, she didn't have any problems so far.  The only complaint she got from Ryder was the fact that she took too long in the shower.

"I'm beat…" Ryder groaned from his bed and Neo laughed.

"You're too soft Ryd," she shook her head and watched as he fumbled around for his books.  Her roommate was also very messy and had a lot of pictures of his family, friends, and even a large picture of his girlfriend framed on his desk.

Neo however, didn't dare bring anything that would betray her guise as Trent Wynn.  All she brought were a few doctored documents, a non-descript computer, and no pictures.  When Ryder had asked her if she was gay she shook her head and said that she hadn't found the right girl yet.

"Hmph," was the indignant reply from Ryder and Neo rolled her eyes, "easy for you to say.  You're lucky that you in such good shape.  How did you come by that?"

"I told you," Neo sighed, "my family owns a repair shop.  I'm required to be in shape to work on space Tauruses and Leos."

"Oh yeah…sorry, I forgot," Ryder replied.

"No worries," Neo shook her head and looked towards the door as it opened, revealing Andrew Faulkner who lived a few rooms down from hers.  "Yo, Andy, sup?"

"Nothing," Andrew replied, "just wondering if you guys wanna get some chow.  The dining hall closes in about fifteen minutes."

"Go on Trent.  I'm gonna sleep," Ryder groaned from underneath a pillow and Neo sighed then got up.

She grabbed Ryder's hand and pulled him from his bed, "Ryd, you are going to get dinner with us whether you like it or not.  Come on Andy, help me!"  She glared at Andy as he chuckled before coming over and pulling on Ryder's other arm.

"Aww, bookie-Ryd is too pooped," Andy joked before Ryder got the message and shrugged both of them off.

"Fine, fine…I'm going," he groused as he straightened his rumpled BDUs.  He marched out and waited for them.  Neo followed Andy out and saw that the rest of their 'gang' a group of students who decided to attach themselves together, waiting.

They had unofficially nominated Trent as their leader even though he was the youngest of all, as he had the most experience in mobile suits and gave them a lot of pointers.  In reality, Neo liked being the leader – it made it easier for her to do her mission and to subtly sway people that Hallsfield's methods were wrong.

As they made their way into the crowded dining hall, most of the recruits had the same idea, they made sure to save themselves a table.  Already, Neo could see some of the women recruit making eyes at her and inwardly winced – if they only knew, but as Trent she waved at them, sending them into giggles.

"Hey, world-class flirt!  You're gonna miss the food!" Andy's voice broke through her thoughts and she jogged over to take some food before sitting back down.  She began to pick at a few pieces of chicken before the others plopped down too.

"So, when do you think we'll get to go on the land Leos?" Marin a dark skinned teen asked.

"Hopefully soon, I overheard our instructor saying about probably within the next week or so – they're training us real quick, ya know," another of their group replied, whose name Neo couldn't really remember.

"They want us to be trained quick so we can hunt down those traitorous Space Force and Preventer people," Neo added her own two-cents in before Andy poked her and pointed at one of the many vid screens in the cafeteria.

"Look," he said and Neo looked up and nearly dropped her fork as she saw that the vid was showing a clip of Adler's Taliesin, fighting and defending what looked like the L3 Colony Cluster.

"This just in, it seems that the citizens of L3 have been harboring one of the traitorous Gundam pilots.  Citizens of the New United Nations do not be afraid of the image you see.  The Nationals are doing their best to suppress the revolt.  We will give you updates as they come," the anchorman on the vid news blared and Neo could hear boos coming from various places in the cafeteria.

She looked towards Marin who said that he was from the L3 Cluster and noticed that he had an angry look on his face.  "Those bastards!  They've been holding a Gundam there?!  They should be punished!"

Neo didn't say anything as she looked back up at the image of Taliesin.  She hoped and prayed to Allah that Adler was all right…  _Be safe…Adler_, she thought towards the image.  She knew that she could have touched his mind as they shared a psychic connection that was unlike anything she had ever known or felt, but she didn't want risk exposing her empathic powers to anyone who might be like Xylon Riyet and was working for the Nationals.

                                    *                      *                      *

Location: Space, L3 Colony Cluster 

Adler charged at another Serpent unit and decapitated its head.  Serpents were old models and he wondered if they were just a decoy.  He did a quick broad range scan of the vicinity of the L3 cluster and found that there were no mobile suits except the Serpents in front of him.  That had to be the worst excuse to send out against him…but still as he thought about it, he realized that ever since the war with Locke had been over, Relena Peacecraft had been trying so hard to disarm the Colonies and Earth and perhaps this was why the new government had to send the Serpents…

But, he also noted that for whatever lack of firepower and old model the Nationals sent, they made up with sheer numbers.  He had never seen this many Serpent units directed at him and they kept multiplying.  There were no heat signatures of humans inside their cockpits so he concluded that they had to be using the mobile dolls system in order to have so many Serpents sent after him.

Checking his bullets and missiles in his arsenal, he noted sourly that he only had a few left.  Barely enough to make a dent.  He couldn't go hand-to-hand with the remaining one without succumbing to their overwhelming firepower.  "Hawk," he keyed the comm. system as he flew back from two Serpents who came after him.  He dispatched them with his beam trident.  "Can we spare some of L3's mines?  I'm running out of bullets here."

"I'll see what I can do," Hawk's reply came back.

Adler smiled grimly as he brought up his right arm and fired his gatling guns at the Serpents who charged at him.  He aimed carefully as the Serpents were grouped together.  One stupid fault of the mobile doll system was the tendency for the dolls to group together, making it easier to destroy them.  Brilliant explosions littered space where the mobile dolls once were, but more came where they had exploded and he pressed the trigger once more, only to find that all of his bullets were used up.

Dropping the empty barrels, he activated the beacon on it so he could pick it up later and sped forward, drawing out his beam trident once more and activated it, its bright green color a reassurance.  Slicing through two Serpents Adler backed away as a warning beep told him of missiles headed towards the Serpents.

He watched as half of the missiles that were protecting L3-28886 took out the remaining Serpents in the mobile doll task force that had been sent to deal with him.  A small smile flitted across his face before Hawk's face popped up in the upper left corner of his main view screen.

"Adler.  Check the GNN broadcast frequency.  Halton Fowler, L3 leader is making a speech," she said before her face disappeared and Adler pressed a few buttons and brought up GNN on his left screen, leaving his middle screen free in case there were any Serpents that survived the missile barrage.

"—We of Colony Cluster L3 cannot fathom what L1 Colony representative Daemon Hallsfield has done to Earth and her fellow colonies and will not abide by his rules and disposition of President Mariemaia Kushrenada.  We saw what happened to our sister colony cluster, L4, and is with the utmost reluctance that we announce this.  We hereby declare our independence from the United Earth Sphere until this conflict can be resolved in the most reasonable fashion and President Kushrenada reinstated as the rightful leader of this government.

"If there is to be any attempt to take over this Colony Cluster we will use all of our available forces to repeal this attack.  L3 will be a safe haven for those who are looking for refuge from this aggression," Halton Fowler was a middle aged Asiatic man with black hair that was graying white.  However, his stern demeanor made his words more powerful, Adler suspected.

"That will be all.  I will take no questions as of this moment," Fowler stepped off from whatever podium he had been occupying and Adler shut off the transmission before turning his Gundam around and headed back towards L3.  It was a victory and Adler hoped that it would be the start of many.

                                    *                      *                      *

**_Location: Alexandria Base_**

**_Alexandria, Egypt, Earth_**

Boos raged louder and louder in the cafeteria as they showed the Gundam Taliesin defeating all of the Serpents.  Neo didn't say anything, but inside, she was glad that Adler was able to fend off all of those mobile suits.  She cheered him on silently, but stayed quiet as the people around her, Marin especially, vocalized their anger at Taliesin winning…until…

"That Gundam deserved to win," Andrew said loudly, silencing just about everyone at their table and all stared at him, Neo included.

"What?!  You support that Gundam?" Marin looked very angry.

"It deserved to win," Andrew shrugged as if it was something common, "those were mobile dolls it was fighting against.  Mobile dolls are nothing more than meaningless things to be thrown as fodder in battle.  Me mum says that.  She used to fight for Romefeller back during Treize Kushrenada's battles and said that Kushrenada hated mobile dolls and she agreed with his policy."

"Good point…" a few of the others around them agreed, but Marin just glared at Andrew before turning his eyes back to the vid-screen.

Neo tilted her head slightly, seeing Andrew in a new light.  Perhaps not all wanna-be Nationals were pig-headed…maybe she would be able to convert a few like Andrew to support the Gundams and support her cause…

"Oh my God!  I can't believe it!  Those traitors!!" Marin suddenly shouted and lifted a fist in anger at the vid-screen.  "L3 just declared independence!"

"What?!" Ryder, sitting next to Neo spilled some of his soup onto his tray as he looked up.  Neo followed suit and saw that indeed, L3's leader, Halton Fowler, was declaring the colony cluster's independence.

She had met Fowler a few times when she went with her father to his meetings or traveling with him.  Fowler was probably one of the most reasonable men to be a colony leader besides her father, she thought, and now she was elated for the Asian man to declare L3's independence.  That would mean Adler would have a safe haven, or maybe even the others would be able to rendezvous to there for their safe haven.

However, another side of her reasoned that they probably would just spread out instead of bunching in one place, because L3 was still recovering and wouldn't be able to have adequate defenses to house all of the Gundams.  Even if they were all there, repair parts would be sparse because they were trying to rebuild some of L3's Colonies, either destroyed over 25 years ago or just in the recent months following Locke's war.

But with L3's first step in rebelling against the new authority, the war just got a little easier for Neo.

                                    *                      *                      *

Location: Countryside, Northern Europe 

There was no cheering in the mansion where the wives and influential women of the Gundam pilots were placed, but there was hope.  And right now, hope was one of the few things they had left.

Catherine was glad that L3 declared their independence.  That meant her boss, Weaver would be able to roam around free and possibly send information out to those who rebelled against the illegal authority of Hallsfield.  She silently cheered Adler on as his battle with the Serpent units was broadcast live, but inwardly she felt so crushed that it had to take something like this to bring them all back to the war.

She hated war.  She hated the fact that whenever there was war, Trowa would leave her and fight with his Gundam.  She was glad that they had decided to destroy the original Gundams after the first war with Locke, but then, when Locke came back months ago, she knew that war had to start up again…but this time it was with her nephew…her dear nephew who inherited the qualities of both his father and mother, but had a kinder and gentler soul who took on the burdens of war.

And now…with this new coup, it drove her brother to hiding and Adler to fight for his home colony cluster.

"Mother…is that Adler's Gundam?" Dumas' young voice, suddenly spoke from the edge of the room and all of the women turned to see the ten-year-old boy standing at the farthest edge, afraid to come in, but curious enough to stop playing with his little sister Jade and Setsuna Yuy.

"Yes it is Dumas," Ione replied in a soft voice and Catherine glanced quickly at the Maganac before watching her pick up her middle child into her lap.  "Adler is fighting so you can be safe."

Catherine didn't know what Ione or Quatre was teaching their children, but from what she could tell of her brief infrequent exposure to the Winner children over the years Quatre and his family came to visit them, Dumas was the most peaceful of all the children and didn't inherit his father's or older sister's empathic abilities.  No…Dumas was actually more mature than she would have guessed for a child of his age. 

In ways, he reminded her of a younger version of Quatre, but without the burdens the Gundam pilot had to endure at such a young age.  There was something timeless about Dumas…and it made her feel very comforted.  She realized that if Hallsfield knew of the middle child of the Winner's abilities, then it would spell doom for Winner Corp and perhaps the fate of the Colonies.

"Will there be bloodshed?" Dumas asked.

"There will be, little one," Relena suddenly spoke up and Catherine looked at her.  Relena looked so old…not the vibrant young lady she was 25 years ago.  No…she didn't look defeated; she just looked tired, worn out.  It had to be the Hallsfield thing and this whole fiasco, but somehow, Catherine thought that there was something more personal at stake with Relena Peacecraft-Yuy.  Her eyes flickered to see Relena twisted her wedding band.

Was there something going on between her and her husband?  Was there some inner conflict that she wasn't aware?  All of the women in the room, including Lady Une and Mariemaia were close friends, bonded together through not only the Gundam pilots, but through their love of peace and the hope that it will survive no matter what.

"Bloodshed is something that cannot be avoided in war, Dumas," Relena continued, "but if we strive to keep the peace away from war, then we can minimize that bloodshed.  There will always be those that fight for that peace so they don't have to fight anymore.  Adler is fighting for it…as are the others…" Relena's eyes seemed to loose focus slightly before she turned back to watch the vid-screen.

After all, there was still hope.  And with hope, came the Gundams.

                                    *                      *                      *

**Author's Notes:**

            Next chapter focusing on the captured G-pilots and probably Reyna and Julian.  I'm in a weird mood, so I don't know when the next chapter is coming up.  The holiday season always does funky stuff to me.


End file.
